*      m      m 


•  w^ 


xrunr' 


II 


II 


II         II 

MB  •• 

II  II 


•  I 


II 


II    II 


,«.  A 


Q 


m       0 


#m 


JxATtM-t*^ 

I    rTPiT  .       e^-^-  'I' 

uKtSLyte^^^ 

^^^S^52^r±±5^^ 


THE   STRONG   ARM 


CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELE3 


BY 

ROBERT   BARR 

AUTHOR  OF 

'  Tekla,"   "In  the  Midst  of  Alarms,"  "  A  Woman  Intervenes,"  Etc.,  Etc. 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1897,  1898,  189 
BY  ROBERT  BARR. 


COPYRIGHT,  1899. 
BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Chapter      I.  THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  OF  GUDENFELS i 

"        II.  THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW 30 

"      III.  A  CITY  OF  FEAR ..     62 

"       IV.  THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR 83 

V.  THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER 101 

"       VI.  THE  HOLY  FEHM 128 

THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY 1 57 

CONVERTED 181 

AN  INVITATION 199 

THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT 217 

COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP 231 

THE  LONG  LADDER 251 

"  GENTLEMEN  :  THE  KING  !  " 270 

THE  HOUR-GLASS 286 

THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS 306 

THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS 320 


2125546 


THE  STRONG  ARM 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  OF  GUDENFELS 

THE  aged  Emir  Soldan  sat  in  his  tent  and  smiled ; 
the  crafty  Oriental  smile  of  an  experienced  man,  deeply 
grounded  in  the  wisdom  of  this  world.  He  knew  that 
there  was  incipient  rebellion  in  his  camp ;  that  the 
young  commanders  under  him  thought  their  leader 
was  becoming  too  old  for  the  fray  ;  caution  overmaster, 
ing  courage.  Here  were  these  dogs  of  unbelievers  set- 
ting their  unhallowed  feet  on  the  sacred  soil  of  Syria, 
and  the  Emir,  instead  of  dashing  against  them,  coun- 
selled coolness  and  prudence.  Therefore  impatience 
disintegrated  the  camp  and  resentment  threatened  dis- 
cipline. When  at  last  the  murmurs  could  be  no  longer 
ignored  the  Emir  gathered  his  impetuous  young  men 
together  in  his  tent,  and  thus  addressed  them. 

"  It  may  well  be  that  I  am  growing  too  old  for  the 
active  field  ;  it  may  be  that,  having  met  before  this 
German  boar  who  leads  his  herd  of  swine,  I  am  fearful 
of  risking  my  remnant  of  life  against  him,  but  I  have 
ever  been  an  indulgent  general,  and  am  now  loath  to 
let  my  inaction  stand  against  your  chance  of  distinction. 
Go  you  therefore  forth  against  him,  and  the  man  who 
brings  me  this  boar's  head  shall  not  lack  his  reward." 


2  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  young  men  loudly  cheered  this  decision  and 
brandished  their  weapons  aloft,  while  the  old  man 
smiled  upon  them  and  added  : 

"  When  you  are  bringing  confusion  to  the  camp  of 
the  unbelievers,  I  shall  remain  in  my  tent  and  meditate 
on  the  sayings  of  the  Prophet,  praying  him  to  keep 
you  a  good  spear's  length  from  the  German's  broad 
sword,  which  he  is  the  habit  of  wielding  with  his  two 
hands." 

The  young  Saracens  went  forth  with  much  shouting, 
a  gay  prancing  of  the  horses  underneath  them  and  a 
marvellous  flourishing  of  spears  above  them,  but  they 
learned  more  wisdom  in  their  half  hour's  communion 
with  the  German  than  the  Emir,  in  a  long  life  of  coun- 
selling, had  been  able  to  bestow  upon  them.  The  two- 
handed  sword  they  now  met  for  the  first  time,  and  the 
acquaintance  brought  little  joy  to  them.  Count  Her- 
bert, the  leader  of  the  invaders,  did  no  shouting,  but 
reserved  his  breath  for  other  purposes.  He  spurred  his 
horse  among  them,  and  his  foes  went  down  around  him 
as  a  thicket  melts  away  before  the  well-swung  axe  of 
a  stalwart  woodman.  The  Saracens  had  little  fear  of 
death,  but  mutilation  was  another  thing,  for  they  knew 
that  they  would  spend  eternity  in  Paradise,  shaped  as 
they  had  left  this  earth,  and  while  a  spear's  thrust  or  a 
wound  from  an  arrow,  or  even  the  gash  left  by  a  short 
sword  may  be  concealed  by  celestial  robes,  how  is  a 
man  to  comport  himself  in  the  Land  of  the  Blest  who 
is  compelled  to  carry  his  head  under  his  arm,  or  who 
is  split  from  crown  to  midriff  by  an  outlandish  weapon 
that  falls  irresistible  as  the  wrath  of  Allah  !  Again 
and  again  they  threw  themselves  with  disastrous 
bravery  against  the  invading  horde,  and  after  each 
encounter  they  came  back  with  lessened  ranks  and  a 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  3 

more  chastened  spirit  than  when  they  had  set  forth. 
When  at  last,  another  counsel  of  war  was  held,  the 
young  men  kept  silence  and  waited  for  the  smiling 
Emir  to  speak. 

"  If  you  are  satisfied  that  there  are  other  things  to- 
think  of  in  war  than  the  giving  and  taking  of  blows  I 
am  prepared  to  meet  this  German,  not  on  his  own  terms 
but  on  my  own.  Perhaps,  however,  you  wish  to  try 
conclusions  with  him  again  ?  " 

The  deep  silence  which  followed  this  inquiry  seemed 
to  indicate  that  no  such  desire  animated  the  Emir's 
listeners,  and  the  old  man  smiled  benignly  upon  his 
audience  and  went  on. 

"  There  must  be  no  more  disputing  of  my  authority, 
either  expressed  or  by  implication.  I  am  now  pre- 
pared to  go  forth  against  him  taking  with  me  forty 
lancers." 

Instantly  there  was  a  protest  against  this  ;  the  num- 
ber was  inadequate,  they  said. 

"  In  his  fortieth  year  our  Prophet  came  to  a  moment- 
ous decision,"  continued  the  Emir,  unheeding  the  in- 
terruption, "  and  I  take  a  spear  with  me  for  every  year 
of  the  Prophet's  life,  trusting  that  Allah  will  add  to 
our  number,  at  the  prophet's  intervention,  should  such 
an  augmentation  prove  necessary.  Get  together  then 
the  forty  oldest  men  under  my  command.  Let  them 
cumber  themselves  with  nothing  in  the  way  of  offence 
except  one  tall  spear  each,  and  see  that  every  man  is 
provided  with  water  and  dates  for  twenty  days'  suste- 
nance of  horse  and  man  in  the  desert." 

The  Emir  smiled  as  he  placed  special  emphasis  on 
the  word  "  oldest,"  and  the  young  men  departed 
abashed  to  obey  his  orders. 

Next  morning  Count  Herbert  von  Schonburg  saw 


4  THE  STRONG  ARM 

near  his  camp  by  the  water-holes  a  small  group  of 
horsemen  standing  motionless  in  the  desert,  their  lances 
erect,  butt  downward,  resting  on  the  sand,  the  little 
company  looking  like  an  oasis  of  leafless  poplars.  The 
Count  was  instantly  astride  his  Arab  charger,  at  the 
head  of  his  men,  ready  to  meet  whatever  came,  but  on 
this  occasion  the  enemy  made  no  effort  to  bring  on  a 
battle,  but  remained  silent  and  stationary,  differing 
greatly  from  the  hordes  that  had  preceded  it. 

"  Well,"  cried  the  impatient  Count,  "  if  Mahomet 
will  not  come  to  the  mountain,  the  mountain  for  once 
will  oblige  him." 

He  gave  the  word  to  charge,  and  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  causing  instant  animation  in  the  band  of  Sar- 
acens, who  fled  before  him  as  rapidly  as  the  Germans 
advanced.  It  is  needless  to  dwell  on  the  project  of  the 
Emir,  who  simply  followed  the  example  of  the  desert 
mirages  he  had  so  often  witnessed  in  wonder.  Never 
did  the  Germans  come  within  touch  of  their  foes,  al- 
ways visible,  but  not  to  be  overtaken.  When  at  last 
Count  Herbert  was  convinced  that  his  horses  were  no 
match  for  the  fleet  steeds  of  his  opponents  he  dis- 
covered that  he  and  his  band  were  hopelessly  lost  in 
the  arid  and  pathless  desert,  the  spears  of  the  seem- 
ingly phantom  host  ever  quivering  before  him  in  the 
tremulous  heated  air  against  the  cloudless  horizon. 
Now  all  his  energies  were  bent  toward  finding  the  way 
that  led  to  the  camp  by  the  water-holes,  but  sense  of 
locality  seemed  to  have  left  him,  and  the  ghostly  com- 
pany which  hung  so  persistently  on  his  flanks  gave  no 
indication  of  direction,  but  merely  followed  as  before 
they  had  fled.  One  by  one  the  Count's  soldiers  suc- 
cumbed, and  when  at  last  the  forty  spears  hedged  him 
round  the  Emir  approached  a  prisoner  incapable  of 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  5 

action.  The  useless  sword  which  hung  from  his  saddle 
was  taken,  and  water  was  given  to  the  exhausted  man 
and  his  dying  horse. 

When  the  Emir  Soldan  and  his  forty  followers  rode 
into  camp  with  their  prisoner  there  was  a  jubilant « 
outcry,  and  the  demand  was  made  that  the  foreign  dog 
be   instantly  decapitated,  but  the   Emir  smiled  and, 
holding  up  his  hand,  said  soothingly  :     . 

"  Softly,  softly,  true  followers  of  the  only  Prophet. 
Those  who  neglected  to  remove  his  head  while  his 
good  sword  guarded  it,  shall  not  now  possess  them- 
selves of  it,  when  that  sword  is  in  my  hands." 

And  against  this  there  could  be  no  protest,  for  the 
prisoner  belonged  to  the  Emir  alone,  and  was  to  be 
dealt  with  as  the  captor  ordained. 

When  the  Count  had  recovered  speech,  and  was  able 
to  hold  himself  as  a  man  should,  the  Emir  summoned 
him,  and  they  had  a  conference  together  in  Soldan's 
tent. 

"  Western  barbarian,"  said  the  Emir,  speaking  in 
that  common  tongue  made  up  of  languages  Asiatic 
and  European,  a  strange  mixture  by  means  of  which 
invaders  and  invaded  communicated  with  each  other, 
"  who  are  you  and  from  what  benighted  land  do  you 
come  ?  " 

"  I  am  Count  Herbert  von  Schonburg.  My  castle 
overlooks  the  Rhine  in  Germany." 

"  What  is  the  Rhine  ?  A  province  of  which  you  are 
the  ruler  ?  " 

"  No,  your  Highness,  it  is  a  river ;  a  lordly  stream 
that  never  diminishes,  but  flows  unceasingly  between 
green  vine-clad  hills  ;  would  that  I  had  some  of  the 
vintage  therefore  to  cheer  me  in  my  captivity  and 
remove  the  taste  of  this  brackish  water ! " 


6  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Prophet,  then,  why  did  you 
leave  it  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  your  Highness,  I  have  often  asked  myself 
that  question  of  late  and  found  but  insufficient  an- 
swer." 

"  If  I  give  you  back  your  sword,  which  not  I,  but 
the  demon  Thirst  captured  from  you,  will  you  pledge 
me  your  word  that  you  will  draw  it  no  more  against 
those  of  my  faith,  but  will  return  to  your  own  land, 
safe  escort  being  afforded  you  to  the  great  sea  where 
you  can  take  ship  ?  " 

"As  I  have  fought  for  ten  years,  and  have  come  no 
nearer  Jerusalem  than  where  I  now  stand,  I  am  con- 
tent to  give  you  my  word  in  exchange  for  my  sword, 
and  the  escort  you  promise." 

And  thus  it  came  about  that  Count  Herbert  von 
Schonburg,  although  still  a  young  man,  relinquished 
all  thought  of  conquering  the  Holy  Land,  and  found 
himself  one  evening,  after  along  march,  gazing  on  the 
placid  bosom  of  the  broad  Rhine,  which  he  had  not 
seen  since  he  bade  good-bye  to  it,  a  boy  of  twenty-one, 
then  as  warlike  and  ambitious,  as  now  he  was  peace 
loving  and  tired  of  strife.  The  very  air  of  the  Rhine 
valley  breathed  rest  and  quiet,  and  Herbert,  with  a 
deep  sigh,  welcomed  the  thought  of  a  life  passed  in 
comforting  uneventfulness. 

"  Conrad,"  he  said  to  his  one  follower,  "  I  will  en- 
camp here  for  the  night.  Ride  on  down  the  Rhine,  I 
beg  of  you,  and  cross  the  river  where  you  may,  that 
you  may  announce  my  coming  some  time  before  I  ar- 
rive. My  father  is<an  old  man,  and  I  am  the  last  of 
the  race,  so  I  do  not  wish  to  come  unexpectedly  on 
him  ;  therefore  break  to  him  with  caution  the  fact  that 
I  am  in  the  neighbourhood,  fpr  hearing  nothing  from 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  7 

me  all  these  years  it  is  like  to  happen  he  believes  me 
dead." 

Conrad  rode  down  the  path  by  the  river  and  dis- 
appeared while  his  master,  after  seeing  to  the  welfare 
of  his  horse,  threw  himself  down  in  a  thicket  and  slept 
the  untroubled  sleep  of  the  seasoned  soldier.  It  was 
daylight  when  he  was  awakened  by  the  tramp  of 
horses.  Starting  to  his  feet,  he  was  confronted  by  a 
grizzled  warrior  with  half  a  dozen  men  at  his  back,  and 
at  first  the  Count  thought  himself  again  a  prisoner,  but 
the  friendliness  of  the  officer  soon  set  all  doubts  at 
rest. 

"Are  you  Count  Herbert  von  Schonburg?"  asked 
the  intruder. 

"  Yes.     Who  are  you  ?  " 

"I  am  Richart,  custodian  of  Castle  Gudenfels, 
and  commander  of  the  small  forces  possessed  by 
her  Ladyship,  Countess  von  Falkenstein.  I  have  to 
acquaint  you  with  the  fact  that  your  servant  and  mes- 
senger has  been  captured.  Your  castle  of  Schonburg 
is  besieged,  and  Conrad,  unaware,  rode  straight  into 
custody.  This  coming  to  the  ears  of  my  lady  the 
Countess,  she  directed  me  to  intercept  you  if  possible, 
so  that  you  might  not  share  the  fate  of  your  servant, 
and  offer  to  you  the  hospitality  of  Gudenfels  Castle 
until  such  time  as  you  had  determined  what  to  do  in 
relation  to  the  siege  of  your  own." 

"  I  give  my  warmest  thanks  to  the  Countess  for  her 
thoughtfulness.  "  Is  her  husband  the  Count  then 
dead  ?  " 

It  is  the  young  Countess  von  Falkenstein  whose 
orders  I  carry.  Her  father  and  mother  are  both  dead, 
and  her  Ladyship,  their  only  child,  now  holds  Guden- 
fels." 


8  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  What,  that  little  girl  ?  She  was  but  a  child  when 
I  left  the  Rhine." 

"  Her  Ladyship  is  a  woman  of  nineteen  now." 

"  And  how  long  has  my  father  been  besieged  ?" 

"  Alas  !  it  grieves  me  to  state  that  your  father,  Count 
von  Schonburg,  has  also  passed  away.  He  has  been 
dead  these  two  years." 

The  young  man  bowed  his  head  and  crossed  him- 
self. For  a  long  time  he  rode  in  silence,  meditating 
upon  this  unwelcome  intelligence,  grieved  to  think 
that  such  a  desolate  home-coming  awaited  him. 

"  Who,  then,  holds  my  castle  against  the  besiegers  ?  " 

"  The  custodian  Heinrich  has  stubbornly  stood 
siege  since  the  Count,  your  father,  died,  saying  he  car- 
ries out  the  orders  of  his  lord  until  the  return  of  the 
son." 

"  Ah  !  if  Heinrich  is  in  command  then  is  the  castle 
safe,"  cried  the  young  man,  with  enthusiasm.  "  He  is 
a  born  warrior  and  first  taught  me  the  use  of  the  broad- 
sword. Who  besieges  us  ?  The  Archbishop  of  May- 
ence  ?  He  was  ever  a  turbulent  prelate  and  held  spite 
against  our  house." 

Richart  shifted  uneasily  in  his  saddle,  and  for  the 
moment  did  not  answer.  Then  he  said,  with  hesitation  : 

"  I  think  the  Archbishop  regards  the  siege  with 
favour,  but  I  know  little  of  the  matter.  My  Lady,  the 
Countess,  will  possess  you  with  full  information." 

Count  Herbert  looked  with  astonishment  upon  the 
custodian  of  Castle  Gudenfels.  Here  was  a  contest 
going  on  at  his  very  doors,  even  if  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  and  yet  a  veteran  knew  nothing  of 
the  contest.  But  they  were  now  at  the  frowning  gates 
of  Castle  Gudenfels,  with  its  lofty  square  pinnacled 
tower,  and  the  curiosity  of  the  young  Count  was 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  9 

dimmed  by  the  admiration  he  felt  for  this  great 
stronghold  as  he  gazed  upward  at  it.  An  instant 
later  he  with  his  escort  passed  through  the  gateway 
and  stood  in  the  courtyard  of  the  castle.  When  he 
had  dismounted  the  Count  said  to  Richart : 

"  I  have  travelled  far,  and  am  not  in  fit  state  to  be 
presented  to  a  lady.  Indeed,  now  that  I  am  here,  I 
dread  the  meeting.  I  have  seen  nothing  of  women 
for  ten  years,  and  knew  little  of  them  before  I  left  the 
Rhine.  Take  me,  I  beg  of  you,  to  a  room  where  I 
may  make  some  preparation  other  than  the  camp  has 
heretofore  afforded,  and  bring  me,  if  you  can,  a  few 
garments  with  which  to  replenish  this  faded,  torn  and 
dusty  apparel." 

"My  Lord,  you  will  find  everything  you  wish  in  the 
rooms  allotted  to  you.  Surmising  your  needs,  I  gave 
orders  to  that  effect  before  I  left  the  castle." 

"  That  was  thoughtful  of  you,  Richart,  and  I  shall 
not  forget  it." 

The  Custodian  without  replying  led  his  guest  up 
one  stair  and  then  another.  The  two  traversed  a  long 
passage  until  they  came  to  an  open  door.  Richart 
standing  aside,  bowed  low,  and  entreated  his  lordship 
to  enter.  Count  Herbert  passed  into  a  large  room  from 
which  a  doorway  led  into  a  smaller  apartment  which 
the  young  man  saw  was  fitted  as  a  bedroom.  The 
rooms  hung  high  over  the  Rhine,  but  the  view  of  the 
river  was  impeded  by  the  numerous  heavy  iron  bars 
which  formed  a  formidable  lattice-work  before  the 
windows.  The  Count  was  about  to  thank  his  conduc- 
tor for  providing  so  sumptuously  for  him,  but,  turning, 
he  was  amazed  to  see  Richart  outside  with  breathless 
eagerness  draw  shut  the  strong  door  that  led  to  the 
passage  from  which  he  had  entered,  and  a  moment  later, 


io  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Herbert  heard  the  ominous  sound  of  stout  bolts  being 
shot  into  their  sockets.  He  stood  for  a  moment  gaz- 
ing blankly  now  at  the  bolted  door,  now  at  the  barred 
window,  and  then  slowly  there  came  to  him  the  know- 
ledge which  would  have  enlightened  a  more  suspicious 
man  long  before — that  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  grim 
fortress  of  Gudenfels.  Casting  his  mind  backward  over 
the  events  of  the  morning,  he  now  saw  a  dozen  sinister 
warnings  that  had  heretofore  escaped  him.  If  a  friend- 
ly invitation  had  been  intended,  what  need  of  the 
numerous  guard  of  armed  men  sent  to  escort  him  ? 
Why  had  Richart  hesitated  when  certain  questions 
were  asked  him  ?  Count  Herbert  paced  up  and  down 
the  long  room,  reviewing  with  clouded  brow  the  events 
of  the  past  few  hours,  beginning  with  the  glorious  free- 
dom of  the  open  hillside  in  the  early  dawn  and  ending 
with  these  impregnable  stone  walls  that  now  environed 
him.  He  was  a  man  slow  to  anger,  but  resentment 
once  aroused,  burned  in  his  heart  with  a  steady  fervour 
that  was  unquenchable.  He  stopped  at  last  in  his 
aimless  pacing,  raised  his  clinched  fist  toward  the  tim- 
bered ceiling,  and  cursed  the  Countess  von  Falkenstein. 
In  his  striding  to  and  fro  the  silence  had  been  broken 
by  the  clank  of  his  sword  on  the  stone  floor,  and  he 
now  smiled  grimly  as  he  realised  that  they  had  not 
dared  to  deprive  him  of  his  formidable  weapon  ;  they 
had  caged  the  lion  from  the  distant  desert  without 
having  had  the  courage  to  clip  his  claws.  The  Count 
drew  his  broadsword  and  swung  it  hissing  through  the 
air,  measuring  its  reach  with  reference  to  the  walls  on 
either  hand,  then,  satisfying  himself  that  he  had  free 
play,  he  took  up  a  position  before  the  door  and  stood 
there  motionless  as  the  statue  of  a  war-god. 

"  Now,  by  the  Cross  I  fought  for,"  he  muttered  to 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  n 

himself,  "  the  first  man  who  sets  foot  across  this  thresh- 
old enters  the  chamber  of  death." 

He  remained  thus,  leaning  with  folded  arms  on  the 
hilt  of  his  long  sword,  whose  point  rested  on  the  flags 
of  the  floor,  and  at  last  his  patience  was  rewarded.  He' 
heard  the  rattle  of  the  bolts  outside,  and  a  tense 
eagerness  thrilled  his  stalwart  frame.  The  door  came 
cautiously  inward  for  a  space  of  perhaps  two  feet  and 
was  then  brought  to  a  stand  by  the  tightening  links 
of  a  stout  chain,  fastened  one  end  to  the  door,  the 
other  to  the  outer  wall.  Through  the  space  that  thus 
gave  a  view  of  the  wide  outer  passage  the  Count  saw 
Richart  stand  with  pale  face,  well  back  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance in  the  centre  of  the  hall.  Two  men-at-arms 
held  a  position  behind  their  master. 

"  My  Lord,"  began  Richart  in  trembling  voice,  "  her 
Ladyship,  the  Countess,  desires 

"  Open  the  door,  you  cringing  Judas  !  "  interrupted 
the  stern  command  of  the  count ;  "  open  the  door  and 
set  me  as  free  as  your  villainy  found  me.  I  hold  no 
parley  with  a  traitor." 

"  My  Lord,  I  implore  you  to  listen.  No  harm  is 
intended  you,  and  my  Lady,  the  Countess,  asks  of  you 
a  conference  touching " 

The  heavy  sword  swung  in  the  air  and  came  down 
upon  the  chain  with  a  force  that  made  the  stout  oaken 
door  shudder.  Scattering  sparks  cast  a  momentary 
glow  of  red  on  the  whitened  cheeks  of  the  startled  on- 
lookers. The  edge  of  the  sword  clove  the  upper  cir- 
cumference of  an  iron  link,  leaving  the  severed  ends 
gleaming  like  burnished  silver,  but  the  chain  still  held. 
Again  and  again  the  sword  fell,  but  never  twice  in  the 
same  spot,  anger  adding  strength  to  the  blows,  but 
subtracting  skill. 


12  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  My  Lord  !  my  Lord  !  "  beseeched  Richart,  "  restrain 
your  fury.  You  cannot  escape  from  this  strong  castle 
even  though  you  sever  the  chain." 

"  I'll  trust  my  sword  for  that,"  muttered  the  pris- 
oner between  his  set  teeth. 

There  now  rang  out  on  the  conflict  a  new  voice  ; 
the  voice  of  a  woman,  clear  and  commanding,  the 
tones  instinct  with  that  inborn  quality  of  imperious 
authority  which  expects  and  usually  obtains  instant 
obedience. 

"  Close  the  door,  Richart,"  cried  the  unseen  lady. 

The  servitor  made  a  motion  to  obey,  but  the  swoop 
of  the  sword  seemed  to  paralyse  him  where  he  stood. 
He  cast  a  beseeching  look  at  his  mistress,  which  said 
as  plainly  as  words:  "You  are  ordering  me  to  my 
death."  The  Count,  his  weapon  high  in  mid-air,  sud- 
denly swerved  it  from  its  course,  for  there  appeared 
across  the  opening  a  woman's  hand  and  arm,  white 
and  shapely,  fleecy  lace  falling  away  in  dainty  folds 
from  the  rounded  contour  of  the  arm.  The  small, 
firm  hand  grasped  bravely  the  almost  severed 
chain  and  the  next  instant  the  door  was  drawn  shut, 
the  bolts  clanking  into  their  places.  Count  Herbert, 
paused,  leaning  on  his  sword,  gazing  bewildered  at  the 
closed  door. 

"  Ye  gods  of  war  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  never  have  I  seen 
before  such  cool  courage  as  that  !  " 

For  a  long  time  the  Count  walked  up  and  down  the 
spacious  room,  stopping  now  and  then  at  the  window 
to  peer  through  the  iron  grille  at  the  rapid  current 
of  the  river  far  below,  the  noble  stream  as  typical  of 
freedom  as  were  the  bars  that  crossed  his  vision,  of 
captivity.  It  seemed  that  the  authorities  of  the  castle 
had  abandoned  all  thought  of  further  communication 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  13 

with  their  truculent  prisoner.  Finally  he  entered  the 
inner  room  and  flung  himself  down,  booted  and  spurred 
as  he  was,  upon  the  couch,  and,  his  sword  for  a  bed- 
mate,  slept.  The  day  was  far  spent  when  he  awoke,  and 
his  first  sensation  was  that  of  gnawing  hunger,  for  he. 
was  a  healthy  man.  His  next,  that  he  had  heard  in 
his  sleep  the  cautious  drawing  of  bolts,  as  if  his 
enemies  purposed  to  project  themselves  surreptitiously 
in  upon  him,  taking  him  at  a  disadvantage.  He  sat 
upright,  his  sword  ready  for  action,  and  listened  in- 
tently. The  silence  was  profound,  and  as  the  Count 
sat  breathless,  the  stillness  seemed  to  be  emphasised 
rather  than  disturbed  by  a  long-drawn  sigh  which  sent 
a  thrill  of  superstitious  fear  through  the  stalwart  frame 
of  the  young  man,  for  he  well  knew  that  the  Rhine 
was  infested  with  spirits  animated  by  evil  intentions 
toward  human  beings,  and  against  such  spirits  his 
sword  was  but  as  a  willow  wand.  He  remembered 
with  renewed  awe  that  this  castle  stood  only  a  few 
leagues  above  the  Lurlei  rocks  where  a  nymph  of  un- 
earthly beauty  lured  men  to  their  destruction,  and  the 
knight  crossed  himself  as  a  protection  against  all  such. 
Gathering  courage  from  this  devout  act,  and  abandon- 
ing his  useless  weapon,  he  tiptoed  to  the  door  that  led 
to  the  larger  apartment,  and  there  found  his  worst 
anticipations  realised.  With  her  back  against  the 
closed  outer  door  stood  a  Siren  of  the  Rhine,  and,  as 
if  to  show  how  futile  is  the  support  of  the  Evil  One  in 
a  crisis,  her  very  lips  were  pallid  with  fear  and  her 
blue  eyes  were  wide  with  apprehension,  as  they  met 
those  of  the  Count  von  Schonburg.  Her  hair,  the 
colour  of  ripe  yellow  wheat,  rose  from  her  smooth 
white  forehead  and  descended  in  a  thick  braid  that 
almost  reached  to  the  floor.  She  was  dressed  in  the 


14  THE  STRONG  ARM 

humble  garb  of  a  serving  maiden,  the  square  bit  of 
lace  on  her  crown  of  fair  hair  and  the  apron  she  wore, 
as  spotless  as  new  fallen  snow.  In  her  hand  she  held 
a  tray  which  supported  a  loaf  of  bread  and  a  huge 
flagon  brimming  with  wine.  On  seeing  the  Count,  her 
quick  breathing  stopped  for  the  moment  and  she 
dropped  a  low  courtesy. 

"  My  Lord,"  she  said,  but  there  came  a  catch  in  her 
throat,  and  she  could  speak  no  further. 

Seeing  that  he  had  to  deal  with  no  spirit,  but  with 
an  inhabitant  of  the  world  he  knew  and  did  not  fear, 
there  arose  a  strange  exultation  in  the  heart  of  the 
Count  as  he  looked  upon  this  fair  representative  of  his 
own  country.  For  ten  years  he  had  seen  no  woman, 
and  now  a  sudden  sense  of  what  he  had  lost  over- 
whelmed him,  his  own  breath  coming  quicker  as  the 
realisation  of  this  impressed  itself  upon  him.  He 
strode  rapidly  toward  her,  and  she  seemed  to  shrink 
into  the  wall  at  his  approach,  wild  fear  springing  into 
her  eyes,  but  he  merely  took  the  laden  tray  from  her 
trembling  hands  and  placed  it  upon  a  bench.  Then 
raising  the  flagon  to  his  lips,  he  drank  a  full  half  of 
its  contents  before  withdrawing  it.  A  deep  sigh  of 
satisfaction  followed,  and  he  said,  somewhat  shame- 
facedly : 

"  Forgive  my  hurried  greed,  maiden,  but  the  thirst 
of  the  desert  seems  to  be  in  my  throat,  and  the  good 
wine  reminds  me  that  I  am  a  German." 

"  It  was  brought  for  your  use,"  replied  the  girl,  de- 
murely, "  and  I  am  gratified  that  it  meets  your  com- 
mendation, my  Lord." 

"  And  so  also  do  you,  my  girl.  What  is  your  name 
and  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  called  Beatrix,  my  Lord,  a  serving-maid  of 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  15 

this  castle,  the  daughter  of  the  woodman  Wilhelm, 
and,  alas !  that  it  should  be  so,  for  the  present  your 
jailer." 

"  If  I  quarrelled  as  little  with  my  detention,  as  I  see 
I  am  like  to  do  with  my  keeper,  I  fear  captivity  would 
hold  me  long  in  thrall.  Are  the  men  in  the  castle 
such  cravens  then  that  they  bestow  so  unwelcome  a 
task  upon  a  woman  ?  " 

"  The  men  are  no  cravens,  my  Lord,  but  this  castle 
is  at  war  with  yours,  and  for  each  man  there  is  a  post. 
A  woman  would  be  less  missed  if  so  brave  a  warrior 
as  Count  von  Schonburg  thought  fit  to  war  upon  us." 

"  But  a  woman  makes  war  upon  me,  Beatrix.  What 
am  I  to  do  ?  Surrender  humbly  ?  " 

"  Brave  men  have  done  so  before  now  and  will  again, 
my  Lord,  where  women  are  concerned.  At  least," 
added  Beatrix,  blushing  and  casting  down  her  eyes, 
"  I  have  been  so  informed." 

"  And  small  blame  to  them,"  cried  the  count,  with 
enthusiasm.  "  I  swear  to  you,  my  girl,  that  if  women 
warriors  were  like  the  woodman's  daughter,  I  would 
cast  away  all  arms  except  these  with  which  to  enclasp 
her." 

And  he  stretched  out  his  hands,  taking  a  st^p  nearer, 
while  she  shrank  in  alarm  from  him. 

"  My  Lord,  I  am  but  an  humble  messenger,  and  I 
beg  of  you  to  listen  to  what  I  am  asked  to  say.  My 
Lady,  the  Countess,  has  commissioned  me  to  tell  you 
that " 

A  startling  malediction  of  the  Countess  that  ac- 
corded ill  with  the  scarlet  cross  emblazoned  on  the 
young  man's  breast,  interrupted  the  girl. 

"  I  hold  no  traffic  with  the  Countess,"  he  cried. 
"  She  has  treacherously  laid  me  by  the  heels,  coming 


16  THE  STRONG  ARM 

as  I  did  from  battling  for  the  Cross  that  she  doubtless 
professes  to  regard  as  sacred." 

"  It  was  because  she  feared  you,  my  Lord.  These 
years  back  tales  of  your  valour  in  the  Holy  Land  have 
come  to  the  Rhine,  and  now  you  return  to  find  your 
house  at  war  with  hers.  What  was  she  to  do  ?  The 
chances  stood  even  with  only  your  underling  in  com- 
mand ;  judge  then  what  her  fate  must  be  with  your 
strong  sword  thrown  in  the  balance  against  her.  All's 
fair  in  war,  said  those  who  counselled  her.  What 
would  you  have  done  in  such  an  extremity,  my 
Lord?" 

"  What  would  I  have  done  ?  I  would  have  met  my 
enemy  sword  in  hand  and  talked  with  him  or  fought 
with  him  as  best  suited  his  inclination." 

"  But  a  lady  cannot  meet  you,  sword  in  hand,  my 
Lord." 

The  Count  paused  in  the  walk  he  had  begun  when 
the  injustice  of  his  usage  impressed  itself  once  more 
upon  him.  He  looked  admiringly  at  the  girl. 

"That  is  most  true,  Beatrix.  I  had  forgotten. 
Still,  I  should  not  have  been  met  with  cozenry.  Here 
came  I  from  starvation  in  the  wilderness,  thirst  in  the 
desert,  and  from  the  stress  of  the  battle-field,  back  to 
mine  own  land  with  my  heart  full  of  yearning  love  for 
it  and  for  all  within  its  boundaries.  I  came  even  from 
prison,  captured  in  fair  fight,  by  an  untaught  heathen, 
whose  men  lay  slain  by  my  hand,  yet  with  the  nobility 
of  a  true  warrior,  he  asked  neither  ransom  nor  hostage, 
but  handed  back  my  sword,  saying,  'Go  in  peace.' 
That  in  a  heathen  land  !  but  no  sooner  does  my  foot 
rest  on  this  Christian  soil  than  I  am  met  by  false  smiles 
and  lying  tongues,  and  my  welcome  to  a  neighbour's 
house  is  the  clank  of  the  inthrust  bolt." 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  17 

"  Oh,  it  was  a  shameful  act  and  not  to  be  defended," 
cried  the  girl,  with  moist  eyes  and  quivering  lip,  the 
sympathetic  reverberation  of  her  voice  again  arresting 
the  impatient  steps  of  the  young  man,  causing  him  to 
pause  and  view  her  with  a  feeling  that  he  could  not 
understand,  and  which  he  found  some  difficulty  in 
controlling.  Suddenly  all  desire  for  restraint  left 
him,  he  sprang  forward,  clasped  the  girl  in  his  arms 
and  drew  her  into  the  middle  of  the  room,  where  she 
could  not  give  the  signal  that  might  open  the  door. 

"  My  Lord !  my  Lord  !  "  she  cried  in  terror,  strug- 
gling without  avail  to  free  herself. 

"  You  said  all's  fair  in  war  and  saying  so,  gave  but 
half  the  proverb,  which  adds,  all's  fair  in  love  as  well, 
and  maiden,  nymph  of  the  woodland,  so  rapidly  does 
a  man  learn  that  which  he  has  never  been  taught,  I 
proclaim  with  confidence  that  I  love  thee." 

"  A  diffident  and  gentle  lover  you  prove  yourself !  " 
she  gasped  with  rising  indignation,  holding  him  from 
her. 

"  Indeed,  my  girl,  there  was  little  of  diffidence  or 
gentleness  in  my  warring,  and  my  wooing  is  like  to 
have  a  touch  of  the  same  quality.  It  is  useless  to 
struggle  for  I  have  thee  firm,  so  take  to  yourself  some 
of  that  gentleness  you  recommend  to  me." 

He  strove  to  kiss  her,  but  Beatrix  held  her  head  far 
from  him,  her  open  palm  pressed  against  the  red  cross 
that  glowed  upon  his  breast,  keeping  him  thus  at  arm's 
length. 

"  Count  von  Schonburg,  what  is  the  treachery  of  any 
other  compared  with  yours?  You  came  heedlessly 
into  this  castle,  suspecting  as  you  say,  no  danger ;  I 
came  within  this  room  to  do  you  service,  knowing  my 
peril,  but  trusting  to  the  honour  of  a  true  soldier  of  the 

2 


i8  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Cross,  and  this  is  my  reward  !  First  tear  from  your 
breast  this  sacred  emblem,  valorous  assaulter  of  a 
defenceless  woman,  for  it  should  be  worn  by  none  but 
stainless  gentlemen." 

Count  Herbert's  arms  relaxed,  and  his  hands  dropped 
listless  to  his  sides. 

"  By  my  sword,"  he  said,  "  they  taught  you  invec- 
tive in  the  forest.  You  are  free.  Go." 

The  girl  made  no  motion  to  profit  by  her  newly 
acquired  liberty,  but  stood  there,  glancing  sideways  at 
him  who  scowled  menacingly  at  her. 

When  at  last  she  spoke,  she  said,  shyly  : 

"  I  have  not  yet  fulfilled  my  mission." 

"  Fulfil  it  then  in  the  fiend's  name  and  begone." 

"  Will  you  consent  to  see  my  Lady  the  Countess  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Will  you  meet  an  envoy  on  her  behalf  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Will  you  promise  not  to  make  war  upon  her  if  you 
are  released  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  If,  in  spite  of  your  boorishness,  she  sets  you  free, 
what  will  you  do  ?" 

"  I  will  rally  my  followers  to  my  banner,  scatter  the 
forces  that  surround  my  castle,  then  demolish  this 
prison  trap." 

"  Am  I  in  truth,  to  carry  such  answers  to  the  Count- 
ess ?  " 

"  You  are  to  do  as  best  pleases  you,  now  and  for 
ever." 

"  I  am  but  a  simple  serving-maid,  and  know  nothing 
of  high  questions  of  state,  yet  it  seems  to  me  such 
replies  do  not  oil  prison  bolts,  and  believe  me,  I  grieve 
to  see  you  thus  detained." 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  19 

"  I  am  grateful  for  your  consideration.  Is  your 
embassy  completed  ?  " 

The  girl,  her  eyes  on  the  stone  floor,  paused  long 
before  replying,  then  said,  giving  no  warning  of  a 
change  of  subject,  and  still  not  raising  her  eyes  to  his : 

"  You  took  me  by  surprise ;  I  am  not  used  to  being 
handled  roughly  ;  you  forget  the  distance  between 
your  station  and  mine,  you  being  a  noble  of  the  Em- 
pire, and  I  but  a  serving-maid  ;  if,  in  my  anger,  I  spoke 
in  a  manner  unbecoming  one  so  humble,  I  do  beseech 
that  your  Lordship  pardon  me." 

"  Now  by  the  Cross  to  which  you  appealed,  how 
long  will  you  stand  chattering  there  ?  Think  you  I 
am  made  of  adamant,  and  not  of  flesh  and  blood  ?  My 
garments  are  tattered  at  best,  I  would  in  woman's  com- 
pany they  were  finer,  and  this  cross  of  Genoa  red 
hangs  to  my  tunic,  but  by  a  few  frail  threads.  Be- 
ware, therefore,  that  I  tear  it  not  from  my  breast  as 
you  advised,  and  cast  it  from  me." 

Beatrix  lifted  one  frightened  glance  to  the  young 
man's  face  and  saw  standing  on  his  brow  great  drops 
of  sweat.  His  right  hand  grasped  the  upper  portion 
of  the  velvet  cross,  partly  detached  from  his  doublet, 
and  he  looked  loweringly  upon  her.  Swiftly  she  smote 
the  door  twice  with  her  hand  and  instantly  the  portal 
opened  as  far  as  the  chain  would  allow  it.  Count 
Herbert  noticed  that  in  the  interval,  three  other  chains 
had  been  added  to  the  one  that  formerly  had  baffled 
his  sword.  The  girl,  like  a  woodland  pigeon,  darted 
underneath  the  lower  chain,  and  although  the  prisoner 
took  a  rapid  step  forward,  the  door,  with  greater  speed, 
closed  and  was  bolted. 

The  Count  had  requested  the  girl  to  be  gone,  and 
surely  should  have  been  contented  now  that  she  had 


20  THE  STRONG  ARM 

withdrawn  herself,  yet  so  shifty  a  thing  is  human  na- 
ture, that  no  sooner  were  his  commands  obeyed  than 
he  began  to  bewail  their  fulfilment.  He  accused  him- 
self of  being  a  double  fool,  first,  for  not  holding  her 
when  he  had  her ;  and  secondly,  having  allowed  her  to 
depart,  he  bemoaned  the  fact  that  he  had  acted  rudely 
to  her,  and  thus  had  probably  made  her  return  impos- 
sible. His  prison  seemed  inexpressibly  dreary  lacking 
her  presence.  Once  or  twice  he  called  out  her  name, 
but  the  echoing  empty  walls  alone  replied. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life  the  heavy  sleep  of  the 
camp  deserted  him,  and  in  his  dreams  he  pursued  a 
phantom  woman,  who  continually  dissolved  in  his 
grasp,  now  laughingly,  now  in  anger. 

The  morning  found  him  deeply  depressed,  and  he 
thought  the  unaccustomed  restraints  of  a  prison  were 
having  their  effect  on  the  spirits  of  a  man  heretofore 
free.  He  sat  silently  on  the  bench  watching  the  door. 

At  last,  to  his  great  joy,  he  heard  the  rattle  of  bolts 
being  withdrawn.  The  door  opened  slowly  to  the 
small  extent  allowed  by  the  chains,  but  no  one  entered 
and  the  Count  sat  still,  concealed  from  the  view  of 
whoever  stood  without. 

"  My  Lord  Count,"  came  the  sweet  tones  of  the  girl 
and  the  listener  with  joy,  fancied  he  detected  in  it  a 
suggestion  of  apprehension,  doubtless  caused  by  the 
fact  that  the  room  seemed  deserted.  "  My  Lord 
Count,  I  have  brought  your  breakfast ;  will  you  not 
come  and  receive  it  ?  " 

Herbert  rose  slowly  and  came  within  range  of  his 
jailer's  vision.  The  girl  stood  in  the  hall,  a  repast  that 
would  have  tempted  an  epicure  arrayed  on  the  wooden 
trencher  she  held  in  her  hands. 

"  Beatrix,  come  in,"  he  said. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  21 

"  I  fear  that  in  stooping,  some  portion  of  this  burden 
may  fall.  Will  you  not  take  the  trencher?  " 

The  young  man  stepped  to  the  opening  and,  taking 
the  tray  from  her,  placed  it  on  the  bench  as  he  had 
previously  done ;  then  repeated  his  invitation. 

"  You  were  displeased  with  my  company  before,  my 
Lord,  and  I  am  loath  again  to  offend." 

"  Beatrix,  I  beg  you  to  enter.  I  have  something  to 
say  to  you." 

"  Stout  chains  bar  not  words,  my  Lord.  Speak  and 
I  shall  listen." 

"  What  I  have  to  say,  is  for  your  ear  alone." 

"  Then  are  the  conditions  perfect  for  such  converse, 
my  Lord.  No  guard  stands  within  this  hall." 

The  Count  sighed  deeply,  turned  and  sat  again  on 
the  bench,  burying  his  face  in  his  hands.  The  maiden 
having  given  excellent  reasons  why  she  should  not 
enter,  thus  satisfying  her  sense  of  logic,  now  set  logic 
at  defiance,  slipped  under  the  lowest  chain  and  stood 
within  the  room,  and,  so  that  there  might  be  no  ac- 
cusation that  she  did  things  by  halves,  closed  the  door 
leaning  her  back  against  it.  The  knight  looked  up  at 
her.  and  saw  that  she  too  had  rested  but  indifferently. 
Her  lovely  eyes  half  veiled,  showed  traces  of  weeping, 
and  there  was  a  wistful  expression  in  her  face  that 
touched  him  tenderly,  and  made  him  long  for  her ; 
nevertheless  he  kept  a  rigid  government  upon  himself, 
and  sat  there  regarding  her,  she  flushing  slightly  under 
his  scrutiny,  not  daring  to  return  his  ardent  gaze. 

"  Beatrix,"  he  said  slowly,  "  I  have  acted  towards 
you  like  a  boor  and  a  ruffian,  as  indeed  I  am  ;  but  let 
this  plead  for  me,  that  I  have  ever  been  used  to  the 
roughness  of  the  camp,  bereft  of  gentler  influences.  I 
ask  your  forgiveness." 


22  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  There  is  nothing  to  forgive.  You  are  a  noble  of 
the  Empire,  and  I  but  a  lowly  serving-maid." 

"  Nay,  that  cuts  me  to  the  heart,  and  is  my  bitterest 
condemnation.  A  true  man  were  courteous  to  high 
and  low  alike.  Now,  indeed,  you  overwhelm  me  with 
shame,  maiden  of  the  woodlands." 

"  Such  was  not  my  intention,  my  Lord.  I  hold  you 
truly  noble  in  nature  as  well  as  in  rank,  otherwise  I 
stood  not  here." 

"  Beatrix,  does  any  woodlander  come  from  the  forest 
to  the  castle  walls  and  there  give  signal  intended  for 
you  alone?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  my  Lord." 

"  Perhaps  you  have  kindly  preference  for  some  one 
within  this  stronghold  ?  " 

"  You  forget,  my  Lord,  that  the  castle  is  ruled  by 
a  lady,  and  that  the  preference  you  indicate  would 
accord  ill  with  her  womanly  government." 

"  In  truth  I  know  little  of  woman's  rule,  but  given 
such,  I  suppose  the  case  would  stand  as  you  say.  The 
Countess  then  frowns  upon  lovers'  meetings." 

"  How  could  it  be  otherwise  ?  " 

"  Have  you  told  her  of — of  yesterday  ?  " 

"  You  mean  of  your  refusal  to  come  to  terms  with 
her  ?  Yes,  my  Lord." 

"  I  mean  nothing  of  the  kind,  Beatrix." 

"  No  one  outside  this  room  has  been  told  aught  to  your 
disadvantage,  my  Lord,"  said  the  girl  blushing  rose-red. 

"  Then  she  suspects  nothing  ?  " 

"  Suspects  nothing  of  what,  my  Lord  ?  " 

"  That  I  love  you,  Beatrix." 

The  girl  caught  her  breath,  and  seemed  about  to  fly, 
but  gathering  courage,  remained,  and  said  speaking 
hurriedly  and  in  some  confusion  : 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  23 

"  As  I  did  not  suspect  it  myself  I  see  not  how  my 
Lady  should  have  made  any  such  surmise,  but  indeed 
it  may  be  so,  for  she  chided  me  bitterly  for  remaining 
so  long  with  you,  and  made  me  weep  with  her  keen 
censure  ;  yet  am  I  here  now  against  her  express  wish 
and  command,  but  that  is  because  of  my  strong  sym- 
pathy for  you  and  my  belief  that  the  Countess  has 
wrongfully  treated  you." 

"  I  care  nothing  for  the  opinion  of  that  harridan,  ex- 
cept that  it  may  bring  harsh  usage  to  you  ;  but 
Beatrix,  I  have  told  you  bluntly  of  my  love  for  you, 
answer  me  as  honestly." 

"  My  Lord,  you  spoke  just  now  of  a  woodlander " 

"Ah,  there  is  one  then.  Indeed,  I  feared  as  much, 
for  there  can  be  none  on  all  the  Rhine  as  beautiful  or 
as  good  as  you." 

"  There  are  many  woodlanders,  my  Lord,  and  many 
women  more  beautiful  than  I.  What  I  was  about  to 
say  was  that  I  would  rather  be  the  wife  of  the  poorest 
forester,  and  lived  in  the  roughest  hut  on  the  hillside, 
than  dwell  otherwise  in  the  grandest  castle  on  the 
Rhine. 

"  Surely,  surely.  But  you  shall  dwell  in  my  castle 
of  Schonburg  as  my  most  honoured  wife,  if  you  but 
will  it  so." 

"  Then,  my  Lord,  I  must  bid  you  beware  of  what 
you  propose.  Your  wife  must  be  chosen  from  the 
highest  in  the  land,  and  not  from  the  lowliest.  It  is 
not  fitting  that  you  should  endeavour  to  raise  a  serving- 
maid  to  the  position  of  Countess  von  Schonburg. 
You  would  lose  caste  among  your  equals,  and  bring 
unhappiness  upon  us  both." 

Count  Herbert  grasped  his  sword  and  lifting  it, 
cried  angrily : 


24  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  By  the  Cross  I  serve,  the  man  who  refuses  to  greet 
my  wife  as  he  would  greet  the  Empress,  shall  feel  the 
weight  of  this  blade." 

"  You  cannot  kill  a  whisper  with  a  sword,  my  Lord." 

"  I  can  kill  the  whisperer." 

"  That  can  you  not,  my  Lord,  for  the  whisperer  will 
be  a  woman." 

"  Then  out  upon  them,  we  will  have  no  traffic  with 
them.  I  have  lived  too  long  away  from  the  petty  re- 
strictions of  civilisation  to  be  bound  down  by  them  now, 
for  I  come  from  a  region  where  a  man's  sword  and  not 
his  rank  preserved  his  life."  As  he  spoke  he  again 
raised  his  huge  weapon  aloft,  but  now  held  it  by  the 
blade  so  that  it  stood  out  against  the  bright  window 
like  a  black  cross  of  iron,  and  his  voice  rang  forth 
defiantly  :  "  With  that  blade  I  won  my  honour  ;  by  the 
symbol  of  its  hilt  I  hope  to  obtain  my  soul's  salvation, 
on  both  united  I  swear  to  be  to  you  a  true  lover  and 
a  loyal  husband." 

With  swift  motion  the  girl  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands  and  Herbert  saw  the  crystal  drops  trickle 
between  her  fingers.  For  long  she  could  not  speak 
and  then  mastering  her  emotion,  she  said  brokenly  : 

"  I  cannot  accept,  I  cannot  now  accept.  I  can  take  no 
advantage  of  a  helpless  prisoner.  At  midnight  I  shall 
come  and  set  you  free,  thus  my  act  may  atone  for  the 
great  wrong  of  your  imprisonment  ;  atone  partially  if 
not  wholly.  When  you  are  at  liberty,  if  you  wish  to 
forget  your  words,  which  I  can  never  do,  then  am  I 
amply  repaid  that  my  poor  presence  called  them  forth. 
If  you  remember  them,  and  demand  of  the  Countess 
that  I  stand  as  hostage  for  peace,  she  is  scarce  likely  to 
deny  you,  for  she  loves  not  war.  But  know  that 
nothing  you  have  said  is  to  be  held  against  you,  for  I 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  25 

would  have  you  leave  this  castle  as  free  as  when  you 
entered  it.  And  now,  my  Lord,  farewell." 

Before  the  unready  man  could  make  motion  to  pre- 
vent her,  she  had  opened  the  door  and  was  gone,  leav- 
ing it  open,  thus  compelling  the  prisoner  to  be  his 
own  jailer  and  close  it,  for  he  had  no  wish  now  to 
leave  the  castle  alone  when  he  had  been  promised 
such  guidance. 

The  night  seemed  to  Count  Herbert  the  longest  he 
had  ever  spent,  as  he  sat  on  the  bench,  listening  for 
the  withdrawing  of  the  bolts,  if  indeed  they  were  in 
their  sockets,  which  he  doubted.  At  last  the  door 
was  pushed  softly  open,  and  bending  under  the  chain, 
he  stood  in  the  outside  hall,  peering  through  the 
darkness,  to  catch  sight  of  his  conductor.  A  great 
window  of  stained  glass  occupied  the  southern  end  of  the 
hall,  and  against  it  fell  the  rays  of  the  full  moon  now 
high  in  the  heavens,  filling  the  dim  and  lofty  apart- 
ment with  a  coloured  radiance  resembling  his  visions  of 
the  half  tones  of  fairyland.  Like  a  shadow  stood  the 
cloaked  figure  of  the  girl,  who  timidly  placed  her 
small  hand  in  his  great  palm,  and  that  touch  gave  a 
thrill  of  reality  to  the  mysticism  of  the  time  and  the 
place.  He  grasped  it  closely,  fearing  it  might  fade 
away  from  him  as  it  had  done  in  his  dream.  She  led 
him  silently  by  another  way  from  that  by  which  he 
had  entered,  and  together  they  passed  through  a  small 
doorway  that  communicated  with  a  narrow  circular 
stair  which  wound  round  and  round  downwards  until 
they  came  to  another  door  at  the  bottom,  which 
let  them  out  in  the  moonlight  at  the  foot  of  a 
turret. 

"  Beatrix,"  whispered  the  young  man,  "  I  am  not 
going  to  demand  you  of  the  Countess.  I  shall  not  be 


26  THE  STRONG  ARM 

indebted  to  her  for  my  wife.  You  must  come  with 
me  now." 

"  No,  no,"  cried  the  girl  shrinking  from  him,  "  I 
cannot  go  with  you  thus  surreptitiously,  and  no  one 
but  you  and  me  must  ever  learn  that  I  led  you 
from  the  castle.  You  shall  come  for  me  as  a  lord 
should  for  his  lady,  as  if  he  thought  her  worthy  of 
him." 

"  Indeed,  that  do  I.  Worthy?  It  is  I  who  am  un- 
worthy, but  made  more  worthy  I  hope  in  that  you 
care  for  me." 

From  where  they  stood  the  knight  saw  the  moon- 
light fall  on  his  own  castle  of  Schonburg,  the  rays 
seeming  to  transform  the  grey  stone  into  the  whitest 
of  marble,  the  four  towers  standing  outlined  against 
the  blue  of  the  cloudless  sky.  The  silver  river  of  ro- 
mance, flowed  silently  at  its  feet  reflecting  again  the 
snowy  purity  of  the  reality  in  an  inverted  quivering 
watery  vision.  All  the  young  man's  affection  for  the 
home  he  had  not  seen  for  years  seemed  to  blend  with 
his  love  for  the  girl  standing  there  in  the  moonlight. 
Gently  he  drew  her  to  him,  and  kissed  her  unresisting 
lips. 

"  Woodland  maiden,"  he  said  tenderly,  "  here  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest  is  your  rightful  home  and  not  in 
this  grim  castle,  and  here  will  I  woo  thee  again,  being 
now  a  free  man." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  girl  with  a  laugh  in  which  a  sob 
and  a  sigh  intermingled,  "  it  is  but  scanty  freedom  I 
have  brought  to  you  ;  an  exchange  of  silken  fetters 
for  iron  chains." 

His  arms  still  around  her,  he  unloosed  the  ribbon 
that  held  in  thrall  the  thick  braid  of  golden  hair,  and 
parting  the  clustering  strands  speedily  encompassed 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  27 

her  in  a  cloak  of  misty  fragrance  that  seemed  as  un- 
substantial as  the  moonlight  that  glittered  through  its 
meshes.  He  stood  back  the  better  to  admire  the 
picture  he  seemed  to  have  created. 

"  My  darling,"  he  cried,  "  you  are  no  woodland 
woman,  but  the  very  spirit  of  the  forest  herself.  You 
are  so  beautiful,  I  dare  not  leave  you  here  to  the  mer- 
cies of  this  demon,  who,  finding  me  gone,  may  revenge 
herself  on  you.  If  before  she  dared  to  censure  you, 
what  may  she  not  do  now  that  you  have  set  me  free  ? 
Curse  her  that  she  stands  for  a  moment  between  my 
love  and  me." 

He  raised  his  clenched  fist  and  shook  it  at  the  tower 
above  him,  and  seemed  about  to  break  forth  in  new 
maledictions  against  the  lady,  when  Beatrix,  clasping 
her  hands  cried  in  terror  : 

"  No,  no,  Herbert, you  have  said  enough.  How  can 
you  pretend  to  love  me  when  implacable  hatred  lies  so 
near  to  your  affection.  You  must  forgive  the  Countess. 
Oh,  Herbert,  Herbert,  what  more  could  I  do  to  atone  ? 
I  have  withdrawn  my  forces  from  around  your  castle  ; 
I  have  set  you  free  and  your  path  to  Schonburg  lies 
unobstructed.  Even  now  your  underling,  thinking 
himself  victorious,  is  preparing  an  expedition  against 
me,  and  nothing  but  your  word  stands  between  me 
and  instant  attack.  Ponder,  I  beseech  of  you,  on  my 
position.  War,  not  of  my  seeking,  was  bequeathed 
to  me,  and  a  woman  who  cannot  fight  must  trust  to 
her  advisers,  and  thus  may  do  what  her  own  heart  re- 
volts against.  They  told  me  that  if  I  made  you  pris- 
oner I  could  stop  the  war,  and  thus  I  consented  to  that 
act  of  treachery  for  which  you  so  justly  condemn  me." 

"  Beatrix,"  cried  her  amazed  lover,  "what  madness 
has  come  over  you  ?  " 


28  THE  STRONG  ARM  * 

"  No  madness  touched  me,  Herbert,  until  I  met  you, 
and  I  sometimes  think  that  you  have  brought  back 
with  you  the  eastern  sorcery  of  which  I  have  heard — 
at  least  such  may  perhaps  make  excuse  for  my  un- 
maidenly  behaviour.  Herbert,  I  am  Beatrix  of  Guden- 
fels,  Countess  von  Falkenstein,  who  is  and  ever  will 
be,  if  you  refuse  to  pardon  her,  a  most  unhappy 
woman." 

"No  woodland  maiden,  but  the  Countess!  The 
Countess  von  Falkenstein ! "  murmured  her  lover 
more  to  himself  than  to  his  eager  listener,  the  lines  on 
his  perplexed  brow  showing  that  he  was  endeavouring 
to  adjust  the  real  and  the  ideal  in  his  slow  brain. 

"  A  Countess,  Herbert,  who  will  joyfully  exchange 
the  privileges  of  her  station  for  the  dear  preference 
shown  to  the  serving-maid." 

A  smile  came  to  the  lips  of  Von  Schonburg  as  he 
held  out  his  hands,  in  which  the  Countess  placed  her 
own. 

"  My  Lady  Beatrix,"  he  said, "  how  can  I  refuse  my 
pardon  for  the  first  encroachment  on  my  liberty,  now 
that  you  have  made  me  your  prisoner  for  life  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  my  captured  lord,"  cried  the  girl, "  you  are 

.     but  now  coming  to  a  true  sense  of  your  predicament. 

I  marvelled  that  you  felt  so  resentful  about  the  first 

offence,  when  the  second  was  so  much  more  serious. 

Am  I  then  forgiven  for  both  ?  " 

It  seemed  that  she  was,  and  the  Count  insisted  on  re- 
turning to  his  captivity,  and  coming  forth  the  next  day, 
freed  by  her  commands,  whereupon,  in  the  presence 
of  all  her  vassals,  he  swore  allegiance  to  her  with  such 
deference  that  her  advisers  said  to  her  that  she  must 
now  see  they  had  been  right  in  counselling  his  imprison- 
ment. Prison,  they  said,  had  a  wonderfully  quieting 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  JAILER  29 

effect  upon  even  the  most  truculent,  the  Count  being 
quickly  subdued  when  he  saw  his  sword-play  had  but 
little  effect  on  the  chain.  The  Countess  graciously 
acknowledged  that  events  had  indeed  proved  the 
wisdom  of  their  course,  and  said  it  was  not  to  be  won-- 
dered  at  that  men  should  know  the  disposition  of 
a  turbulent  man,  better  than  an  inexperienced  woman 
could  know  it. 

And  thus  was  the  feud  between  Gudenfels  and  Schon- 
burg  happily  ended,  and  Count  Herbert  came  from 
the  Crusades  to  find  two  castles  waiting  for  him  in- 
stead of  one  as  he  had  expected,  with  what  he  had 
reason  to  prize  above  everything  else,  a  wife  as  well. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW 

THE  position  of  Count  Herbert  when,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-one  he  took  up  his  residence  in  the  ancient  castle 
of  his  line,  was  a  most  enviable  one.  His  marriage  with 
Beatrix,  Countess  von  Falkenstein,  had  added  the  lustre 
of  a  ruling  family  to  the  prestige  of  his  own,  and  the  re- 
nown of  his  valour  in  the  East  had  lost  nothing  in  transit 
from  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  to  the  banks  of 
the  Rhine.  The  Counts  of  Schonburg  had  ever  been 
the  most  conservative  in  counsel  and  the  most  radical 
in  the  fray,  and  thus  Herbert  on  returning,  found  him- 
self, without  seeking  the  honour,  regarded  by  common 
consent  as  leader  of  the  nobility  whose  castles  bordered 
the  renowned  river.  The  Emperor,  as  was  usually  the 
case  when  these  imperial  figure-heads  were  elected  by 
the  three  archbishops  and  their  four  colleagues,  was  a 
nonentity,  who  made  no  attempt  to  govern  a  turbulent 
land  that  so  many  were  willing  to  govern  for  him.  His 
majesty  left  sword  and  sceptre  to  those  who  cared  for 
such  baubles,  and  employed  himself  in  banding  to- 
gether the  most  notable  company  of  meistersingers  that 
Germany  had  ever  listened  to.  But  although  harmony 
reigned  in  Frankfort,  the  capital,  there  was  much  lack 
of  it  along  the  Rhine,  and  the  man  with  the  swiftest 
and  heaviest  sword,  usually  accumulated  the  greatest 
amount  of  property,  movable  and  otherwise. 

Among  the  truculent  nobles  who  terrorised  the 
30 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   31 

country  side,  none  was  held  in  greater  awe  than  Baron 
von  Wiethoff,  whose  Schloss  occupied  a  promontory 
some  distance  up  the  stream  from  Castle  Schonburg,  on 
the  same  side  of  the  river.  Public  opinion  condemned 
the  Baron,  not  because  he  exacted  tribute  from  the 
merchants  who  sailed  down  the  Rhine,  for  such  col- 
lections were  universally  regarded  as  a  legitimate  source 
of  revenue,  but  because  he  was  in  the  habit  of  killing 
the  goose  that  laid  the  golden  egg,  which  action  was 
looked  upon  with  disfavour  by  those  who  resided  be- 
tween Schloss  Wiethoff  and  Cologne,  as  interfering  with 
their  right  to  exist,  for  a  merchant,  although  well- 
plucked,  is  still  of  advantage  to  those  in  whose  hands 
he  falls,  if  life  and  some  of  his  goods  are  left  to  him. 
Whereas,  when  cleft  from  scalp  to  midriff  by  the  Baron's 
long  swoid,  he  became  of  no  value  either  to  himself  or 
to  others.  While  many  nobles  were  satisfied  with  levy- 
ing a  scant  five  or  ten  per  cent  on  a  voyager's  belong- 
ings, the  Baron  rarely  rested  contented  until  he  had 
acquired  the  full  hundred,  and,  the  merchant  object- 
ing, von  Wiethoff  would  usually  order  him  hanged  or 
decapitated,  although  at  times  when  he  was  in  good 
humour  he  was  wont  to  confer  honour  upon  the  trading 
classes  by  despatching  the  grumbling  seller  of  goods 
with  his  own  weapon,  which  created  less  joy  in  the 
commercial  community  than  the  Baron  seemed  to  ex- 
pect. Thus  navigation  on  the  swift  current  of  the 
Rhine  began  to  languish,  for  there  was  little  profit  in 
the  transit  of  goods  from  Mayence  to  Cologne  if  the 
whole  consignment  stood  in  jeopardy  and  the  owner's 
life  as  well,  so  the  merchants  got  into  the  habit  of  carry- 
ing their  gear  overland  on  the  backs  of  mules,  thus  put- 
ting the  nobility  to  great  inconvenience  in  scouring  the 
forests,  endeavouring  to  intercept  the  caravans.  The 


32  THE  STRONG  ARM 

nobility,  with  that  stern  sense  of  justice  which  has  ever 
characterised  the  higher  classes,  placed  the  blame  of 
this  diversion  of  traffic  from  its  natural  channel,  not 
upon  the  merchants  but  upon  the  Baron,  where  un- 
doubtedly it  rightly  belonged,  and  although,  when  they 
came  upon  an  overland  company  which  was  seeking  to 
avoid  them,  they  gathered  in  an  extra  percentage  of  the 
goods  to  repay  in  a  measure  the  greater  difficulty  they 
had  in  their  woodland  search,  they  always  informed  the 
merchants  with  much  politeness,  that,  when  river  traffic 
was  resumed,  they  would  be  pleased  to  revert  to  the 
original  exaction,  which  the  traders,  not  without  reason 
pointed  out  was  of  little  avail  to  them  as  long  as 
Baron  von  WiethofT  was  permitted  to  confiscate  the 
whole. 

In  their  endeavours  to  resuscitate  the  navigation 
interests  of  the  Rhine,  several  expeditions  had  been 
formed  against  the  Baron,  but  his  castle  was  strong, 
and  there  were  so  many  conflicting  interests  among 
those  who  attacked  him  that  he  had  always  come  out 
victorious,  and  after  each  onslaught  the  merchants 
suffered  more  severely  than  before. 

Affairs  were  in  this  unsatisfactory  condition  when 
Count  Herbert  of  Schonburg  returned  from  the  Holy 
Land,  the  fame  of  his  deeds  upon  him,  and  married 
Beatrix  of  Gudenfels.  Although  the  nobles  of  the 
Upper  Rhine  held  aloof  from  all  contest  with  the 
savage  Baron  of  Schloss  Wiethoff,  his  exactions  not 
interfering  with  their  incomes,  many  of  those  further 
down  the  river  offered  their  services  to  Count  Herbert, 
if  he  would  consent  to  lead  them  against  the  Baron,  but 
the  Count  pleaded  that  he  was  still  a  stranger  in  his  own 
country,  having  so  recently  returned  from  his  ten  con- 
tentious years  in  Syria,  therefore  he  begged  time  to 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   33 

study  the  novel  conditions  confronting  him  before 
giving  an  answer  to  their  proposal. 

The  Count  learned  that  the  previous  attacks  made 
upon  Schloss  Wiethoff  had  been  conducted  with  but 
indifferent  generalship,  and  that  failure  had  been  richly 
earned  by  desertions  from  the  attacking  force,  each 
noble  thinking  himself  justified  in  withdrawing  himself 
and  his  men,  when  offended,  or  when  the  conduct  of 
affairs  displeased  him,  so  von  Schonburg  informed  the 
second  deputation  which  waited  on  him,  that  he  was 
more  accustomed  to  depend  on  himself  than  on  the  aid 
of  others,  and  that  if  any  quarrel  arose  between  Castle 
Schonburg  and  Schloss  Wiethoff,  the  Count  would  en- 
deavour to  settle  the  dispute  with  his  own  sword,  which 
reply  greatly  encouraged  the  Baron  when  he  heard  of 
it,  for  he  wished  to  try  conclusions  with  the  newcomer, 
and  made  no  secret  of  his  disbelief  in  the  latter's  Sara- 
cenic exploits,  saying  the  Count  had  returned  when 
there  was  none  left  of  the  band  he  took  with  him,  and 
had,  therefore,  with  much  wisdom,  left  himself  free 
from  contradiction. 

There  was  some  disappointment  up  and  down  the 
Rhine  when  time  passed  and  the  Count  made  no  war- 
like move.  It  was  well  known  that  the  Countess  was 
much  averse  to  war,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  she 
was  indebted  to  war  for  her  stalwart  husband,  and  her 
peaceful  nature  was  held  to  excuse  the  non-combative 
life  lived  by  the  Count,  although  there  were  others  who 
gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  the  Count  was  really  afraid 
of  the  Baron,  who  daily  became  more  and  more  obnox- 
ious as  there  seemed  to  be  less  and  less  to  fear.  Such 
boldness  did  the  Baron  achieve  that  he  even  organised 
a  slight  raid  upon  the  estate  of  Gudenfels  which  be- 
longed to  the  Count's  wife,  but  still  Herbert  of  Schon- 
3 


34  THE  STRONG  ARM 

burg  did  not  venture  from  the  security  of  his  castle, 
greatly  to  the  disappointment  and  the  disgust  of  his 
neighbours,  for  there  are  on  earth  no  people  who  love 
a  fight  more  dearly  than  do  those  who  reside  along  the 
banks  of  the  placid  Rhine. 

At  last  an  heir  was  born  to  Castle  Schonburg,  and 
the  rejoicings  throughout  all  the  district  governed  by 
the  Count  were  general  and  enthusiastic.  Bonfires  were 
lit  on  the  heights  and  the  noble  river  glowed  red  under 
the  illumination  at  night.  The  boy  who  had  arrived 
at  the  castle  was  said  to  give  promise  of  having  all  the 
beauty  of  his  mother  and  all  the  strength  of  his  father, 
which  was  admitted  by  everybody  to  be  a  desirable 
combination,  although  some  shook  their  heads  and  said 
they  hoped  that  with  strength  there  would  come  greater 
courage  than  the  Count  appeared  to  possess.  Never- 
theless, the  Count  had  still  some  who  believed  in  him, 
notwithstanding  his  long  period  of  inaction,  and  these 
said  that  on  the  night  the  boy  was  born,  and  word  was 
brought  to  him  in  the  great  hall  that  mother  and  child 
were  well,  the  cloud  that  had  its  habitual  resting-place  on 
the  Count's  brow  lifted  and  his  lordship  took  down  from 
its  place  his  great  broadsword,  rubbed  from  its  blade  the 
dust  and  the  rust  that  had  collected,  swung  the  huge 
weapon  hissing  through  the  air,  and  heaved  a  deep  sigh, 
as  one  who  had  come  to  the  end  of  a  period  of  restraint. 

The  boy  was  just  one  month  old  on  the  night  that 
there  was  a  thunderous  knocking  at  the  gate  of  Schloss 
Wiethoff.  The  Baron  hastily  buckled  on  his  armour  and 
was  soon  at  the  head  of  his  men  eager  to  repel  the  in- 
vader. In  a  marvellously  short  space  of  time  there  was 
a  contest  in  progress  at  the  gates  which  would  have  de- 
lighted the  heart  of  the  most  quarrelsome  noble  from 
Mayence  to  Cologne.  The  attacking  party  which  ap- 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   35 

peared  in  large  force  before  the  gate,  attempted  to 
batter  in  the  oaken  leaves  of  the  portal,  but  the  Baron 
was  always  prepared  for  such  visitors,  and  the  heavy 
timbers  that  were  heaved  against  the  oak  made  little 
impression,  while  von  Wiethoff  roared  defiance  from 
the  top  of  the  wall  that  surrounded  the  castle  and  what 
was  more  to  the  purpose,  showered  down  stones  and 
arrows  on  the  besiegers,  grievously  thinning  their  ranks. 
The  Baron,  with  creditable  ingenuity,  had  constructed 
above  the  inside  of  the  gate  a  scaffolding,  on  the  top  of 
which  was  piled  a  mountain  of  huge  stones.  This 
scaffold  was  arranged  in  such  a  way  that  a  man  pulling 
a  lever  caused  it  to  collapse,  thus  piling  the  stones  in- 
stantly against  the  inside  of  the  gate,  rendering  it  im- 
pregnable against  assault  by  battering  rams.  The  Baron 
was  always  jubilant  when  his  neighbours  attempted 
to  force  the  gate,  for  he  was  afforded  much  amusement 
at  small  expense  to  himself,  and  he  cared  little  for  the 
damage  the  front  door  received,  as  he  had  built  his 
castle  not  for  ornament  but  for  his  own  protection. 
He  was  a  man  with  an  amazing  vocabulary,  and  as  he 
stood  on  the  wall  shaking  his  mailed  fist  at  the  in- 
truders he  poured  forth  upon  them  invective  more 
personal  than  complimentary. 

While  thus  engaged,  rejoicing  over  the  repulse  of  the 
besiegers,  for  the  attack  was  evidently  losing  its  vigour, 
he  was  amazed  to  note  a  sudden  illumination  of  the 
forest-covered  hill  which  he  was  facing.  The  attacking 
party  rallied  with  a  yell  when  the  light  struck  them, 
and  the  Baron,  looking  hastily  over  his  shoulder  to 
learn  the  source  of  the  ruddy  glow  on  the  trees,  saw 
with  dismay  that  his  castle  was  on  fire  and  that  Count 
Herbert  followed  by  his  men  had  possession  of  the 
battlements  to  the  rear,  while  the  courtyard  swarmed 


36  THE  STRONG  ARM 

with  soldiers,  who  had  evidently  scaled  the  low  wall 
along  the  river  front  from  rafts  or  boats. 

"  Surrender  !  "  cried  Count  Herbert,  advancing  along 
the  wall.  "  Your  castle  is  taken,  and  will  be  a  heap  of 
ruins  within  the  hour." 

"  Then  may  you  be  buried  beneath  them,"  roared  the 
Baron,  springing  to  the  attack. 

Although  the  Baron  was  a  younger  man  than  his 
antagonist,  it  was  soon  proven  that  his  sword  play  was 
not  equal  to  that  of  the  Count,  and  the  broadsword 
fight  on  the  battlements  in  the  light  of  the  flaming 
stronghold,  was  of  short  duration,  watched  breathlessly 
as  it  was  by  men  of  both  parties  above  and  below. 
Twice  the  Baron's  guard  was  broken,  and  the  third  time, 
such  was  the  terrific  impact  of  iron  on  iron,  that  the 
Baron's  weapon  was  struck  from  his  benumbed  hands 
and  fell  glittering  through  the  air  to  the  ground  out- 
side the  walls.  The  Count  paused  in  his  onslaught, 
refraining  from  striking  a  disarmed  man,  but  again  de- 
manding his  submission.  The  Baron  cast  one  glance 
at  his  burning  house,  saw  that  it  was  doomed,  then, 
with  a  movement  as  reckless  as  it  was  unexpected,  took 
the  terrific  leap  from  the  wall  top  to  the  ground,  alight- 
ing on  his  feet  near  his  fallen  sword  which  he  speedily 
recovered.  For  an  instant  the  Count  hovered  on  the 
brink  to  follow  him,  but  the  swift  thought  of  his  wife 
and  child  restrained  him,  and  he  feared  a  broken  limb 
in  the  fall,  leaving  him  thus  at  the  mercy  of  his  enemy. 
The  moment  for  decision  was  short  enough,  but  the 
years  of  regret  for  this  hesitation  were  many  and  long. 
There  were  a  hundred  men  before  the  walls  to  inter- 
cept the  Baron,  and  it  seemed  useless  to  jeopardise  life 
or  limb  in  taking  the  leap,  so  the  Count  contented  him- 
self by  giving  the  loud  command  : 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   37 

"  Seize  that  man  and  bind  him." 

It  was  an  order  easy  to  give  and  easy  to  obey  had 
there  been  a  dozen  men  below  as  brave  as  their  captain, 
or  even  one  as  brave,  as  stalwart  and  as  skilful ;  but  the 
Baron  struck  sturdily  around  him  and  mowed  his  way 
through  the  throng  as  effectually  as  a  reaper  with  a 
sickle  clears  a  path  for  himself  in  the  standing  corn. 
Before  Herbert  realised  what  was  happening,  the  Baron 
was  safe  in  the  obscurity  of  the  forest. 

The  Count  of  Schonburg  was  not  a  man  to  do  things 
by  halves,  even  though  upon  the  occasion  of  this  at- 
tack he  allowed  the  Baron  to  slip  through  his  fingers. 
When  the  ruins  of  the  Schloss  cooled,  he  caused  them 
to  be  removed  and  flung  stone  by  stone  into  the  river, 
leaving  not  a  vestige  of  the  castle  that  had  so  long  been 
a  terror  to  the  district,  holding  that  if  the  lair  were  de- 
stroyed the  wolf  would  not  return.  In  this  the  Count 
proved  but  partly  right.  Baron  von  Wiethoff  re- 
nounced his  order,  and  became  an  outlaw,  gathering 
round  him  in  the  forest  all  the  turbulent  characters  not 
in  regular  service  elsewhere,  publishing  along  the  Rhine 
by  means  of  prisoners  he  took  and  then  released  that  as 
the  nobility  seemed  to  object  to  his  preying  upon  the 
merchants,  he  would  endeavour  to  amend  his  ways  and 
would  harry  instead  such  castles  as  fell  into  his  hands. 
Thus  Baron  von  Wiethoff  became  known  as  the  Out- 
law of  the  Hundsruck,  and  being  as  intrepid  as  he  was 
merciless,  soon  made  the  Rhenish  nobility  withdraw 
attention  from  other  people's  quarrels  in  order  to  be- 
stow strict  surveillance  upon  their  own.  It  is  possible 
that  if  the  dwellers  along  the  river  had  realised  at  first 
the  kind  of  neighbour  that  had  been  produced  by  burn- 
ing out  the  Baron,  they  might,  by  combination  have 
hunted  him  down  in  the  widespread  forests  of  the 


38  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Hundsruck,  but  as  the  years  went  on,  the  Outlaw  ac- 
quired such  knowledge  of  the  interminable  mazes  of  this 
wilderness,  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  all  the  troops  in 
the  Empire  could  have  brought  his  band  to  bay.  The 
outlaws  always  fled  before  a  superior  force,  and  always 
massacred  an  inferior  one,  and  like  the  lightning,  no 
man  could  predict  where  the  next  stroke  would  fall. 
On  one  occasion  he  even  threatened  the  walled  town  of 
Coblentz,  and  the  citizens  compounded  with  him,  say- 
ing they  had  no  quarrel  with  any  but  the  surrounding 
nobles,  which  expression  the  thrifty  burghers  regretted 
when  Count  Herbert  marched  his  men  through  their 
streets  and  for  every  coin  they  had  paid  the  Outlaw, 
exacted  ten. 

The  boy  of  Castle  Schonburg  was  three  years  old, 
when  he  was  allowed  to  play  on  the  battlements,  sport- 
ing with  a  wooden  sword  and  imagining  himself  as  great 
a  warrior  as  his  father  had  ever  been.  He  was  a  brave 
little  fellow  whom  nothing  could  frighten  but  the 
stories  his  nurse  told  him  of  the  gnomes  and  goblins 
who  infested  the  Rhine,  and  he  longed  for  the  time 
when  he  would  be  a  man  and  wear  a  real  sword.  One 
day  just  before  he  had  completed  his  fourth  year,  a  man 
came  slinking  out  of  the  forest  to  the  foot  of  the  wall, 
for  the  watch  was  now  slack  as  the  Outlaw  had  not  been 
heard  of  for  months,  and  then  was  far  away  in  the 
direction  of  Mayence.  The  nurse  was  holding  a  most 
absorbing  conversation  with  the  man-at-arms,  who 
should,  instead,  have  been  pacing  up  and  down  the 
terrace  while  she  should  have  been  watching  her  charge. 
The  man  outside  gave  a  low  whistle  which  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  child  and  then  beckoned  him  to  come 
further  along  the  wall  until  he  had  passed  the  west 
tower. 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   39 

"  Well,  little  coward,"  said  the  man, "  I  did  not  think 
you  would  have  the  courage  to  come  so  far  away  from 
the  women." 

"  I  am  not  a  coward,"  answered  the  lad,  stoutly, 
"  and  I  do  not  care  about  the  women  at  all." 

"  Your  father  was  a  coward." 

"  He  is  not.  '  He  is  the  bravest  man  in  the  world." 

"  He  did  not  dare  to  jump  off  the  wall  after  the 
Baron." 

"  He  will  cut  the  Baron  in  pieces  if  he  ever  comes 
near  our  castle." 

"  Yet  he  dared  not  jump  as  the  Baron  did." 

"  The  Baron  was  afraid  of  my  father  ;  that's  why  he 
jumped." 

"  Not  so.  It  was  your  father  who  feared  to  follow 
him,  though  he  had  a  sword  and  the  Baron  had  none. 
You  are  all  cowards  in  Castle  Schonburg.  I  don't  be- 
lieve you  have  the  courage  to  jump  even  though  I  held 
out  my  arms  to  catch  you,  but  if  you  do  I  will  give  you 
the  sword  I  wear." 

The  little  boy  had  climbed  on  the  parapet,  and  now 
stood  hovering  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  his  childish 
heart  palpitating  through  fear  of  the  chasm  before  him* 
yet  beneath  its  beatings  was  an  insistent  command  to 
prove  his  impugned  courage.  For  some  moments  there 
was  deep  silence,  the  man  below  gazing  aloft  and  hold- 
ing up  his  hands.  At  last  he  lowered  his  outstretched 
arms  and  said  in  a  sneering  tone  : 

"  Good-bye,  craven  son  of  a  craven  race.'  You  dare 
not  jump." 

The  lad,  with  a  cry  of  despair,  precipitated  himself 
into  the  empty  air  and  came  fluttering  down  like  a 
wounded  bird,  to  fall  insensible  into  the  arms  that  for 
the  moment  saved  him  from  death  or  mutilation.  An 


40  THE  STRONG  ARM 

instant  later  there  was  a  shriek  from  the  negligent 
nurse,  and  the  man-at-arms  ran  along  the  battlements, 
a  bolt  on  his  cross-bow  which  he  feared  to  launch  at 
the  flying  abductor,  for  in  the  speeding  of  it  he  might 
slay  the  heir  of  Schonburg.  By  the  time  the  castle  was 
aroused  and  the  gates  thrown  open  to  pour  forth 
searchers,  the  man  had  disappeared  into  the  forest,  and 
in  its  depths  all  trace  of  young  Wilhelm  was  lost. 
Some  days  after,  the  Count  von  Schonburg  came  upon 
the  deserted  camp  of  the  outlaws,  and  found  there  evi- 
dences, not  necessary  to  be  here  set  down,  that  his  son 
had  been  murdered.  Imposing  secrecy  on  his  followers, 
so  that  the  Countess  might  still  retain  her  unshaken  be- 
lief that  not  even  an  outlaw  would  harm  a  little  child, 
the  Count  returned  to  his  castle  to  make  preparations 
for  a  complete  and  final  campaign  of  extinction  against 
the  scourge  of  the  Hundsruck,  but  the  Outlaw  had 
withdrawn  his  men  far  from  the  scene  of  his  latest 
successful  exploit  and  the  Count  never  came  up  with 
him. 

Years  passed  on  and  the  silver  came  quickly  to 
Count  Herbert's  hair,  he  attributing  the  change  to  the 
hardships  endured  in  the  East,  but  all  knowing  well 
the  cause  sprang  from  his  belief  in  his  son's  death. 
The  rapid  procession  of  years  made  little  impression 
on  the  beauty  of  the  Countess,  who,  although  grieving 
for  the  absence  of  her  boy,  never  regarded  him  as  lost 
but  always  looked  for  his  return.  "  If  he  were  dead," 
she  often  said  to  her  husband,  "  I  should  know  it  in  my 
heart ;  I  should  know  the  day,  the  hour  and  the 
moment." 

This  belief  the  Count  strove  to  encourage,  although 
none  knew  better  than  he  how  baseless  it  was.  Beatrix, 
with  a  mother's  fondness,  kept  little  Wilhelm's  room 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   41 

as  it  had  been  when  he  left  it,  his  toys  in  their  places, 
and  his  bed  prepared  for  him,  allowing  no  one  else  to 
share  the  task  she  had  allotted  to  herself.  She  seemed 
to  keep  no  count  of  the  years,  nor  to  realise  that  if  her 
son  returned  he  would  return  as  a  young  man  and  not 
as  a  child.  To  the  mind  of  Beatrix  he  seemed  always 
her  boy  of  four. 

When  seventeen  years  had  elapsed  after  the  abduc- 
tion of  the  heir  of  Schonburg,  there  came  a  rumour  that 
the  Outlaw  of  Hundsruck  was  again  at  his  depredations 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Coblentz.  He  was  at  this  time 
a  man  of  forty-two,  and  if  he  imagined  that  the  long 
interval  had  led  to  any  forgetting  on  the  part  of  the 
Count  von  Schonburg,  a  most  unpleasant  surprise 
awaited  him.  The  Count  divided  his  forces  equally 
between  his  two  castles  of  Schonburg  and  Gudenfels 
situated  on  the  west  bank  and  the  east  bank  respect- 
ively. If  either  castle  were  attacked,  arrangements 
were  made  for  getting  word  to  the  other,  when  the 
men  in  that  other  would  cross  the  Rhine  and  fall  upon 
the  rear  of  the  invaders,  hemming  them  thus  between 
two  fires.  The  Count  therefore  awaited  with  compla- 
cency whatever  assault  the  Outlaw  cared  to  deliver. 

It  was  expected  that  the  attack  would  be  made  in 
the  night,  which  was  the  usual  time  selected  for  these 
surprise  parties  that  kept  life  from  stagnating  along  the 
Rhine,  but  to  the  amazement  of  the  Count  the  onslaught 
came  in  broad  daylight,  which  seemed  to  indicate 
that  the  Outlaw  had  gathered  boldness  with  years. 
The  Count  from  the  battlements  scanned  his  opponents 
and  saw  that  they  were  led,  not  by  the  Outlaw  in 
person,  but  by  a  young  man  who  evidently  held  his 
life  lightly,  so  recklessly  did  he  risk  it.  He  was  ever 
in  the  thick  of  the  fray,  dealing  sword  strokes  with  a 


42  THE  STRONG  ARM 

lavish  generosity  which  soon  kindled  a  deep  respect  for 
him  in  the  breasts  of  his  adversaries.  The  Count  had 
not  waited  for  the  battering  in  of  his  gates  but  had  sent 
out  his  men  to  meet  the  enemy  in  the  open,  which  was 
rash  generalship,  had  he  not  known  that  the  men  of 
Gudenfels  were  hurrying  round  to  the  rear  of  the  out- 
laws. Crossbowmen  lined  the  battlements  ready  to 
cover  the  retreat  of  the  defenders  of  the  castle,  should 
they  meet  a  reverse,  but  now  they  stood  in  silence, 
holding  their  shafts,  for  in  the  mel£e  there  was  a  danger 
of  destroying  friend  as  well  as  foe.  But  in  spite  of  the 
superb  leadership  of  the  young  captain,  the  outlaws, 
seemingly  panic-stricken,  when  there  was  no  particular 
reason,  deserted  their  commander  in  a  body  and  fled  in 
spite  of  his  frantic  efforts  to  rally  them.  The  young 
man  found  himself  surrounded,  and,  after  a  brave 
defence,  overpowered.  When  the  Gudenfels  men  came 
up,  there  was  none  to  oppose  them,  the  leader  of  the 
enemy  being  within  the  gates  of  Schonburg,  bound, 
bleeding  and  a  prisoner.  The  attacking  outlaws  were 
nowhere  to  be  seen. 

The  youthful  captive,  unkempt  as  he  was,  appeared 
in  the  great  hall  of  the  castle  before  its  grey-headed 
commander,  seated  in  his  chair  of  state. 

"You  are  the  leader  of  this  unwarranted  incursion?" 
said  the  Count,  sternly,  as  he  looked  upon  the  pinioned 
lad. 

"  Warranted  or  unwarranted,  I  was  the  leader." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  Wilhelm,  only  son  of  the  Outlaw  of  Hunds- 
ruck." 

"  The  only  son,"  murmured  the  Count,  more  to  him- 
self than  to  his  auditors,  the  lines  hardening  round  his 
firm  mouth.  For  some  moments  there  was  a  deep 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   43 

silence  in  the  large  room,  then  the  Count  spoke  in  a 
voice  that  had  no  touch  of  mercy  in  it : 

"  You  will  be  taken  to  a  dungeon  and  your  wounds 
cared  for.  Seven  days  from  now,  at  this  hour,  you 
will  appear  again  before  me,  at  which  time  just  sentence 
will  be  passed  upon  you,  after  I  hear  what  you  have  to 
say  in  your  own  defence." 

"  You  may  hear  that  now,  my  Lord.  I  besieged  your 
castle  and  would  perhaps  have  taken  it,  had  I  not  a 
pack  of  cowardly  dogs  at  my  heels.  I  am  now  in  your 
power,  and  although  you  talk  glibly  of  justice,  I  know 
well  what  I  may  expect  at  your  hands.  Your  delay  of 
a  week  is  the  mere  pretence  of  a  hypocrite,  who  wishes 
to  give  colour  of  legality  to  an  act  already  decided  upon. 
I  do  not  fear  you  now,  and  shall  not  fear  you  then,  so 
spare  your  physicians  unnecessary  trouble,  and  give  the 
word  to  your  executioner." 

"  Take  him  away,  attend  to  his  wounds,  and  guard 
him  strictly.  Seven  days  from  now  when  I  call  for 
him,  see  to  it  that  you  can  produce  him." 

Elsa,  niece  of  the  Outlaw,  watched  anxiously  for  the 
return  of  her  cousin  from  the  long  prepared  for  expe- 
dition. She  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  bravery 
and  the  most  earnest  belief  in  his  success,  yet  she 
watched  for  the  home-coming  of  the  warriors  with  an 
anxious  heart.  Perhaps  a  messenger  would  arrive 
telling  of  the  capture  of  the  castle  ;  perhaps  all  would 
return  with  news  of  defeat,  but  for  what  actually  hap- 
pened the  girl  was  entirely  unprepared.  That  the 
whole  company,  practically  unscathed,  should  march 
into  camp  with  the  astounding  news  that  their  leader 
had  been  captured  and  that  they  had  retreated  without 
striking  a  blow  on  his  behalf,  seemed  to  her  so  mon- 
strous, that  her  first  thought  was  fear  of  the  retribution 


44  THE  STRONG  ARM 

which  would  fall  on  the  deserters  when  her  uncle  real- 
ised the  full  import  of  the  tidings.  She  looked  with  ap- 
prehension at  his  forbidding  face  and  was  amazed  to  see 
something  almost  approaching  a  smile  part  his  thin  lips. 

"  The  attack  has  failed,  then.  I  fear  I  sent  out  a 
leader  incompetent  and  too  young.  We  must  make 
haste  to  remove  our  camp  or  the  victorious  Count,  em- 
boldened by  success,  may  carry  the  war  into  the  forest." 
With  this  amazing  proclamation  the  Outlaw  turned  and 
walked  to  his  hut  followed  by  his  niece,  bewildered  as 
one  entangled  in  the  mazes  of  a  dream.  When  they 
were  alone  together,  the  girl  spoke. 

"  Uncle,  has  madness  overcome  you?" 

"  I  was  never  saner  than  now,  nor  happier,  for  years 
of  waiting  are  approaching  their  culmination." 

"  Has,  then,  all  valour  left  your  heart  ?  " 

"  Your  question  will  be  answered  when  next  I  lead 
my  band." 

"  When  next  you  lead  it  ?     Where  will  you  lead  it  ?  " 

"  Probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Mayence,  toward  which 
place  we  are  about  to  journey." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  retreat  from  here  without 
attempting  the  rescue  of  your  son,  now  in  the  hands 
of  your  lifelong  enemy  ?  " 

"  All  things  are  possible  in  an  existence  like  ours. 
The  boy  would  assault  the  castle  ;  he  has  failed  and 
has  allowed  himself  to  be  taken.  It  is  the  fortune  of 
war  and  I  shall  not  waste  a  man  in  attempting  his 
rescue." 

Elsa  stood  for  a  moment  gazing  in  dismay  at  her 
uncle,  whose  shifty  eyes  evaded  all  encounter  with  hers, 
then  she  strode  to  the  wall,  took  down  a  sword  and 
turned  without  a  word  to  the  door.  The  Outlaw  sprang 
between  her  and  the  exit. 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   45 

"  What  are  you  about  to  do  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  I  am  about  to  rally  all  who  are  not  cowards  round 
me,  then  at  their  head,  I  shall  attack  Castle  Schonburg 
and  set  Wilhelm  free  or  share  his  fate." 

The  Outlaw  stood  for  a  few  moments,  his  back  against 
the  door  of  the  hut,  gazing  in  sullen  anger  at  the  girl, 
seemingly  at  a  loss  to  know  how  she  should  be  dealt 
with.  At  last  his  brow  cleared  and  he  spoke  : 

"  Is  your  interest  in  Wilhelm  due  entirely  to  the  fact 
that  you  are  cousins  ?  " 

A  quick  flush  overspread  the  girl's  fair  cheeks  with 
colour  and  her  eyes  sought  the  floor  of  the  hut.  The 
point  of  the  sword  she  held  lowered  until  it  rested  on 
the  stone  flags,  and  she  swayed  slightly,  leaning  against 
its  hilt,  while  the  keen  eyes  of  her  uncle  regarded  her 
critically.  She  said  in  a  voice  little  above  a  whisper, 
contrasting  strongly  with  her  determined  tone  of  a 
moment  before : 

"  My  interest  is  due  to  our  relationship  alone." 

"  Has  no  word  of  love  passed  between  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  no.     Why  do  you  ask  me  such  a  question  ?  " 

"  Because  on  the  answer  given  depends  whether  or 
not  I  shall  entrust  you  with  knowledge  regarding  him. 
Swear  to  me  by  the  Three  Kings  of  Cologne  that  you 
will  tell  to  none  what  I  will  now  impart  to  you." 

"  I  swear,"  said  Elsa,  raising  her  right  hand,  and 
holding  aloft  the  sword  with  it. 

"  Wilhelm  is  not  my  son,  nor  is  he  kin  to  either  of 
us,  but  is  the  heir  of  the  greatest  enemy  of  our  house, 
Count  Herbert  of  Schonburg.  I  lured  him  from  his 
father's  home  as  a  child  and  now  send  him  back  as  a 
man.  Some  time  later  I  shall  acquaint  the  Count  with 
the  fact  that  the  young  man  he  captured  is  his  only 
son." 


46  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  girl  looked  at  her  uncle,  her  eyes  wide  with 
horror. 

"  It  is  your  purpose  then  that  the  father  shall  exe- 
cute his  own  son  ?  " 

The  Outlaw  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  The  result  lies  not  with  me,  but  with  the  Count. 
He  was  once  a  crusader  and  the  teaching  of  his  master 
is  to  the  effect  that  the  measure  he  metes  to  others, 
the  same  shall  be  meted  to  him,  if  I  remember  aright 
the  tenets  of  his  faith.  Count  Herbert  wreaking 
vengeance  upon  my  supposed  son,  is  really  bringing 
destruction  upon  his  own,  which  seems  but  justice.  If 
he  show  mercy  to  me  and  mine,  he  is  bestowing  the 
blessed  balm  thereof  on  himself  and  his  house.  In 
this  imperfect  world,  few  events  are  ordered  with  such 
admirable  equity  as  the  capture  of  young  Lord  Wilhelm, 
by  that  haughty  and  bloodthirsty  warrior,  his  father. 
Let  us  then  await  with  patience  the  outcome,  taking 
care  not  to  interfere  with  the  designs  of  Providence." 

"  The  design  comes  not  from  God  but  from  the  evil 
one  himself." 

"  It  is  within  the  power  of  the  Deity  to  overturn 
even  the  best  plans  of  the  fiend,  if  it  be  His  will.  Let 
us  see  to  it  that  we  do  not  intervene  between  two  such 
ghostly  potentates,  remembering  that  we  are  but  puny 
creatures,  liable  to  err." 

"  The  plot  is  of  your  making,  secretly  held,  all  these 
years,  with  unrelenting  malignity.  The  devil  himself 
is  not  wicked  enough  to  send  an  innocent,  loyal  lad  to 
his  doom  in  his  own  mother's  house,  with  his  father  as 
his  executioner.  Oh,  uncle,  uncle,  repent  and  make 
reparation  before  it  is  too  late." 

"  Let  the  Count  repent  and  make  reparation.  I  have 
now  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  As  I  have  said,  if 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   47 

the  Count  is  merciful,  he  is  like  to  be  glad  of  it  later 
in  his  life  ;  if  he  is  revengeful,  visiting  the  sin  of  the 
father  on  the  son,  innocent,  I  think  you  called  him, 
then  he  deserves  what  his  own  hand  deals  out  to  him- 
self. But  we  have  talked  too  much  already.  I  ask 
you  to  remember  your  oath,  for  I  have  told  you  this 
so  that  you  will  not  bring  ridicule  upon  me  by  a 
womanish  appeal  to  my  own  men,  who  would  but 
laugh  at  you  in  any  case  and  think  me  a  dotard  in 
allowing  women  overmuch  to  say  in  the  camp.  Get 
you  back  to  your  women,  for  we  move  camp  instantly. 
Even  if  I  were  to  relent,  as  you  term  it,  the  time  is 
past,  for  Wilhelm  is  either  dangling  from  the  walls  of 
Castle  Schonburg  or  he  is  pardoned,  and  all  that  we 
could  do  would  be  of  little  avail.  Prepare  you  then 
instantly  for  our  journey." 

Elsa,  with  a  sigh,  went  slowly  to  the  women's  quar- 
ters, her  oath,  the  most  terrible  that  may  be  taken  on 
the  Rhine,  weighing  heavily  upon  her.  Resolving  not 
to  break  it,  yet  determined  in  some  way  to  save  Wil- 
helm, the  girl  spent  the  first  part  of  the  journey  in 
revolving  plans  of  escape,  for  she  found  as  the  caval- 
cade progressed  that  her  uncle  did  not  trust  entirely  to 
the  binding  qualities  of  the  oath  she  had  taken,  but 
had  her  closely  watched  as  well.  As  the  expedition 
progressed  farther  and  farther  south  in  the  direction  of 
Mayence,  vigilance  was  relaxed,  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  second  day,  when  a  camp  had  been  selected  for  the 
night,  Elsa  escaped  and  hurried  eastward  through  the 
forest  until  she  came  to  the  Rhine,  which  was  to  be 
her  guide  to  the  castle  of  Schonburg.  The  windings 
of  the  river  made  the  return  longer  than  the  direct 
journey  through  the  wilderness  had  been,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  this,  Elsa  was  compelled  to  circumambulate 


48  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  numerous  castles,  climbing  the  hills  to  avoid  them, 
fearing  capture  and  delay,  so  it  was  not  until  the  sun 
was  declining  on  the  sixth  day  after  the  assault  on  the 
castle  that  she  stood,  weary  and  tattered  and  unkempt, 
before  the  closed  gates  of  Schonburg,  and  beat  feebly 
with  her  small  hand  against  the  oak,  crying  for  admit- 
tance. The  guard  of  the  gate,  seeing  through  the  small 
lattice  but  a  single  dishevelled  woman  standing  there, 
anticipating  treachery,  refused  to  open  the  little  door 
in  the  large  leaf  until  his  captain  was  summoned,  who, 
after  some  parley,  allowed  the  girl  to  enter  the  court- 
yard. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  asked  the  captain,  curtly. 

She  asked  instead  of  answered  : 

"  Is  your  prisoner  still  alive  ?  " 

"  The  son  of  the  Outlaw  ?  Yes,  but  he  would  be  a 
confident  prophet  who  would  predict  as  much  for  him 
at  this  hour  to-morrow." 

"  Take  me,  I  beg  of  you,  to  the  Countess." 

"  That  is  as  it  may  be.  Who  are  you  and  what  is 
your  business  with  her  ?  " 

"  I  shall  reveal  myself  to  her  Ladyship,  and  to  her 
will  state  the  object  of  my  coming." 

"  Your  object  is  plain  enough.  You  are  some  tat- 
terdemalion of  the  forest  come  to  beg  the  life  of  your 
lover,  who  hangs  to-morrow,  or  I  am  a  heathen  Sara- 
cen." 

"  I  do  beseech  you,  tell  the  Countess  that  a  miserable 
woman  craves  permission  to  speak  with  her." 

What  success  might  have  attended  her  petition  is  un- 
certain, but  the  problem  was  solved  by  the  appearance 
of  the  Countess  herself  on  the  terrace  above  them, 
which  ran  the  length  of  the  castle  on  its  western  side. 
The  lady  leaned  over  the  parapet  and  watched  with 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   49 

evident  curiosity  the  strange  scene  in  the  courtyard 
below,  the  captain  and  his  men  in  a  ring  around  the 
maiden  of  the  forest,  who  occupying  the  centre  of  the 
circle,  peered  now  in  one  face,  now  in  another,  as  if 
searching  for  some  trace  of  sympathy  in  the  stolid 
countenances  of  the  warriors  all  about  her.  Before 
the  captain  could  reply,  his  lady  addressed  him. 

"  Whom  have  you  there,  Conrad  ?  " 

It  seemed  as  if  the  unready  captain  would  get  no 
word  said,  for  again  before  he  had  made  answer  the 
girl  spoke  to  the  Countess. 

"  I  do  implore  your  Ladyship  to  grant  me  speech  with 
you." 

The  Countess  looked  down  doubtfully  upon  the  sup- 
plicant, evidently  prejudiced  by  her  rags  and  wildly 
straying  hair.  The  captain  cleared  his  throat  and 
opened  his  mouth,  but  the  girl  eagerly  forestalled  him. 

"  Turn  me  not  away,  my  Lady,  because  I  come  in  un- 
handsome guise,  for  I  have  travelled  far  through  forest 
and  over  rock,  climbing  hills  and  skirting  the  river's 
brink  to  be  where  I  am.  The  reluctant  wilderness,  im- 
peding me,  has  enviously  torn  my  garments,  leaving 
me  thus  ashamed  before  you,  but,  dear  Lady,  let  not 
that  work  to  my  despite.  Grant  my  petition  and  my 
prayer  shall  ever  be  that  the  dearest  wish  of  your  own 
heart  go  not  unsatisfied." 

"  Alas !  "  said  the  Countess,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "  my 
dearest  wish  gives  little  promise  of  fulfilment." 

Conrad,  seeing  that  the  lady  thought  of  her  lost  son, 
frowned  angrily,  and  in  low  growling  tones  bade  the 
girl  have  a  care  what  she  said,  but  Elsa  was  not  to  be 
silenced  and  spoke  impetuously. 

"  Oh,  Countess,  the  good  we  do  often  returns  to  us 
tenfold  ;  mercy  calls  forth  mercy.  An  acorn  planted 
4 


50  THE  STRONG  ARM 

produces  an  oak ;  cruelty  sown  leaves  us  cruelty  to 
reap.  It  is  not  beyond  imagination  that  the  soothing 
of  my  bruised  heart  may  bring  balm  to  your  own." 

"  Take  the  girl  to  the  east  room,  Conrad,  and  let  her 
await  me  there,"  said  the  Countess. 

"  With  a  guard,  your  Ladyship  ?  " 

"  Without  a  guard,  Conrad." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  Lady,  but  I  distrust  her.  She  may 
have  designs  against  you." 

The  Countess  had  little  acquaintance  with  fear.  She 
smiled  at  the  anxious  captain  and  said  : 

"  Her  only  desire  is  to  reach  my  heart,  Conrad." 

"  God  grant  it  may  not  be  with  a  dagger,"  grumbled 
the  captain,  as  he  made  haste  to  obey  the  commands 
of  the  lady. 

When  the  Countess  entered  the  room  in  which  Elsa 
stood,  her  first  question  was  an  inquiry  regarding  her 
visitor's  name  and  station,  the  telling  of  which  seemed 
but  an  indifferent  introduction  for  the  girl,  who  could 
not  help  noting  that  the  Countess  shrank  involuntarily 
from  her  when  she  heard  the  Outlaw  mentioned. 

"  Our  house  has  little  cause  to  confer  favour  on  any 
kin  of  the  Outlaw  of  Hundsruck,"  the  lady  said  at  last. 

"  I  do  not  ask  for  favour,  my  Lady.  I  have  come  to 
give  your  revenge  completeness,  if  it  is  revenge  you 
seek.  The  young  man  now  imprisoned  in  Schonburg 
is  so  little  esteemed  by  my  uncle  that  not  a  single 
blow  has  been  struck  on  his  behalf.  If  the  Count 
thinks  to  hurt  the  Outlaw  by  executing  Wilhelm,  he 
will  be  gravely  in  error,  for  my  uncle  and  his  men  re- 
gard the  captive  so  lightly  that  they  have  gone  be- 
yond Mayence  without  even  making  an  effort  toward 
his  rescue.  As  for  me,  my  uncle  bestows  upon  me 
such  affection  as  he  is  capable  of,  and  would  be  more 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   51 

grieved  should  I  die,  than  if  any  other  of  his  kin  were 
taken  from  him.  Release  Wilhelm  and  I  will  gladly 
take  his  place,  content  to  receive  such  punishment  as 
his  Lordship,  the  Count,  considers  should  be  imposed 
on  a  relative  of  the  Outlaw." 

"  What  you  ask  is  impossible.  The  innocent  should 
not  suffer  for  the  guilty. " 

"  My  Lady,  the  innocent  have  suffered  for  others 
since  the  world  began,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  till 
it  ends.  Our  only  hope  of  entering  Heaven  comes 
through  Him  who  was  free  from  sin  being  condemned 
in  our  stead.  I  do  beseech  your  Ladyship  to  let  me 
take  the  place  of  Wilhelm." 

"You  love  this  young  man,"  said  the  Countess, 
seating  herself,  and  regarding  the  girl  with  the  intent 
interest  which  women,  whose  own  love  affair  has  pros- 
pered, feel  when  they  are  confronted  with  an  incident 
that  reminds  them  of  their  youth. 

"  Not  otherwise  than  as  a  friend  and  dear  com- 
panion, my  Lady,"  replied  Elsa,  blushing.  "  When  he 
was  a  little  boy  and  I  a  baby,  he  carried  me  about  in 
his  arms,  and  since  that  time  we  have  been  comrades 
together." 

"  Comradeship  stands  for  much,  my  girl,"  said  the 
Countess,  in  kindly  manner,  "  but  it  rarely  leads  one 
friend  willingly  to  accept  death  for  another.  I  have 
not  seen  this  young  man  whom  you  would  so  gladly 
liberate ;  the  dealing  with  prisoners  is  a  matter  con- 
cerning my  husband  alone  ;  I  never  interfere,  but  if  I 
should  now  break  this  rule  because  you  have  travelled 
so  far,  and  are  so  anxious  touching  the  prisoner's  wel- 
fare, would  you  be  willing  to  accept  my  conditions?" 

"  Yes,  my  Lady,  so  that  his  life  were  saved." 

"  He  is  a  comely  young  man  doubtless,  and  there  are 


52  THE  STRONG  ARM 

some  beautiful  women  within  this  castle  ;  would  it  con- 
tent you  if  he  were  married  to  one  of  my  women,  and 
so  escaped  with  life  ?  " 

A  sudden  pallor  overspread  the  girl's  face,  and  she 
clasped  her  hands  nervously  together.  Tears  welled 
into  her  eyes,  and  she  stood  thus  for  a  few  moments 
unable  to  speak.  At  last  she  murmured,  with  some 
difficulty  : 

"  Wilhelm  can  care  nothing  for  any  here,  not  hav- 
ing beheld  them,  and  it  would  be  wrong  to  coerce  a 
man  in  such  extremity.  I  would  rather  die  for  him, 
that  he  might  owe  his  life  to  me." 

"  But  he  would  live  to  marry  some  one  else." 

"  If  I  were  happy  in  heaven,  why  should  I  begrudge 
Wilhelm's  happiness  on  earth  ?  " 

"  Ah,  why,  indeed,  Elsa?  And  yet  you  disclaim  with 
a  sigh.  Be  assured  that  I  shall  do  everything  in  my 
power  to  save  your  lover,  and  that  not  at  the  expense 
of  your  own  life  or  happiness.  Now  come  with  me, 
for  I  would  have  you  arrayed  in  garments  more  suited 
to  your  youth  and  your  beauty,  that  you  may  not  be 
ashamed  when  you  meet  this  most  fascinating  prisoner, 
for  such  he  must  be,  when  you  willingly  risk  so  much 
for  his  sake." 

The  Countess,  after  conducting  the  girl  to  the 
women's  apartments,  sought  her  husband,  but  found  to 
her  dismay  that  he  showed  little  sign  of  concurrence 
with  her  sympathetic  views  regarding  the  fate  of  the 
prisoner.  It  was  soon  evident  ;bo  her  that  Count 
Herbert  had  determined  upon  the  young  man's  de- 
struction, and  that  there  was  some  concealed  reason 
for  this  obdurate  conclusion  which  the  Count  did 
not  care  to  disclose.  Herbert  von  Schonburg  was 
thoroughly  convinced  that  his  son  was  dead,  mutilated 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   53 

beyond  recognition  by  the  Outlaw  of  Hundsruck,  yet 
this  he  would  not  tell  to  Beatrix,  his  wife,  who  cher- 
ished the  unshaken  belief  that  the  boy  still  lived  and 
would  be  restored  to  her  before  she  died.  The  Count 
for  years  had  waited  for  his  revenge,  and  even  though 
his  wife  now  pleaded  that  he  forego  it,  the  Master  of 
Schonburg  was  in  no  mind  to  comply,  though  he  said 
little  in  answer  to  her  persuading.  The  incoming  of 
Elsa  to  the  castle  merely  convinced  him  that  some  trick 
was  meditated  on  the  part  of  the  Outlaw,  and  the  senti- 
mental consideration  urged  by  the  Countess  had  small 
weight  with  him.  He  gave  a  curt  order  to  his  captain 
to  double  his  guards  around  the  stronghold,  and  relax 
no  vigilance  until  the  case  of  the  prisoner  had  been 
finally  dealt  with.  He  refused  permission  for  Elsa  to 
see  her  cousin,  even  in  the  presence  of  witnesses,  as  he 
was  certain  that  her  coming  was  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
municating to  him  some  message  from  the  Outlaw,  the 
news  of  whose  alleged  withdrawal  he  did  not  believe. 

"  With  the  country  at  peace,  the  Outlaw  has  insti- 
gated, and  his  son  has  executed,  an  attack  upon  this 
castle.  The  penalty  is  death.  To-morrow  I  shall  hear 
what  he  has  to  say  in  his  defence,  and  shall  deliver 
judgment,  I  hope,  justly.  If  his  kinswoman  wishes  to 
see  him,  she  may  come  to  his  trial,  and  then  will  be  in 
a  position  to  testify  to  her  uncle  that  sentence  has  been 
pronounced  in  accordance  with  the  law  that  rules  the 
Rhine  provinces.  If  she  has  communication  to  make 
to  her  cousin,  let  it  be  made  in  the  Judgment  Hall  in 
the  presence  of  all  therein." 

The  Countess,  with  sinking  heart,  left  her  husband, 
having  the  tact  not  to  press  upon  him  too  strongly  the 
claims  of  mercy  as  well  as  of  justice.  She  knew  that 
his  kind  nature  would  come  to  the  assistance  of  her 


54  THE  STRONG  ARM 

own  suing,  and  deeply  regretted  that  the  time  for 
milder  influences  to  prevail  was  so  short.  In  a  brief 
conference  with  Elsa,  she  endeavoured  to  prepare  the 
girl's  mind  for  a  disastrous  ending  of  her  hopes. 

Some  minutes  before  the  hour  set  for  Wilhelm's 
trial,  the  Countess  Beatrix,  followed  by  Elsa,  entered 
the  Judgment  Hall  to  find  the  Count  seated  moodily 
in  the  great  chair  at  one  end  of  the  long  room,  in  whose 
ample  inclosure  many  an  important  state  conference 
had  been  held,  each  of  the  forefathers  of  the  present 
owner  being  seated  in  turn  as  president  of  the  assem- 
blage. Some  thought  of  this  seemed  to  oppress  the 
Count's  mind,  for  seated  here  with  set  purpose  to  ex- 
tinguish his  enemy's  line,  the  remembrance  that  his 
own  race  died  with  him  was  not  likely  to  be  banished. 
The  Countess  brought  Elsa  forward  and  in  a  whisper 
urged  her  to  plead  for  her  kinsman  before  his  judge. 
The  girl's  eloquence  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of 
Beatrix,  but  the  Count's  impassive  face  was  sphinx-like 
in  its  settled  gloom.  Only  once  during  the  appeal  did 
he  speak,  and  that  was  when  Elsa  offered  herself  as  a 
sacrifice  to  his  revenge,  then  he  said,  curtly  : 

"  We  do  not  war  against  women.  You  areas  free  to 
go  as  you  were  to  come,  but  you  must  not  return." 

A  dull  fear  began  to  chill  the  girl's  heart  and  to  check 
her  earnest  pleading.  She  felt  that  her  words  were 
making  no  impression  on  the  silent  man  seated  before 
her,  and  this  knowledge  brought  weak  hesitation  to  her 
tongue  and  faltering  to  her  speech.  In  despair  she 
wrung  her  hands  and  cried  :  "  Oh,  my  Lord,  my  Lord, 
think  of  your  own  son  held  at  the  mercy  of  an  enemy. 
Think  of  him  as  a  young  man  just  the  age  of  your 
prisoner,  at  a  time  when  life  is  sweetest  to  him  !  Think, 
think,  I  beg  of  you " 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   55 

The  Count  roused  himself  like  -a  lion  who  had  been 
disturbed,  and  cried  in  a  voice  that  resounded  hoarsely 
from  the  rafters  of  the  arched  roof,  startling  the  Count- 
ess with  the  unaccustomed  fierceness  of  its  tone : 

"  Yes,  I  will  think  of  him — of  my  only  son  in  the 
clutch  of  his  bitter  foe,  and  I  thank  you  for  reminding 
me  of  him,  little  as  I  have  for  these  long  years  needed 
spur  to  my  remembrance.  Bring  in  the  prisoner." 

When  Wilhelm  was  brought  in,  heavy  manacles  on 
his  wrists,  walking  between  the  men  who  guarded  him, 
Elsa  looked  from  judge  to  culprit,  and  her  heart  leaped 
with  joy.  Surely  such  blindness  could  not  strike  this 
whole  concourse  that  some  one  within  that  hall  would 
not  see  that,  here  confronted,  stood  father  and  son,  on 
the  face  of  one  a  frown  of  anger,  on  the  face  of  the 
other  a  frown  of  defiance,  expressions  almost  identi- 
cal, the  only  difference  being  the  thirty  years  that 
divided  their  ages.  For  a  few  moments  the  young  man 
did  not  distinguish  Elsa  in  the  throng,  then  a  glad  cry 
of  recognition  escaped  him,  and  the  cloud  cleared  from 
his  face  as  if  a  burst  of  sunshine  had  penetrated  the 
sombre-coloured  windows  and  had  thrown  its  illumi- 
nating halo  around  his  head.  He  spoke  impetuously, 
leaning  forward  : 

"  Elsa,  Elsa,  how  came  you  here  ?  "  then,  a  shadow 
of  concern  crossing  his  countenance,  "  you  are  not  a 
prisoner,  I  trust  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  Wilhelm,  I  am  here  to  beseech  the 
clemency  of  the  Count " 

"  Not  for  me !  "  exclaimed  the  prisoner,  defiantly, 
drawing  himself  up  proudly  :  "  not  for  me,  Elsa.  You 
must  never  ask  favour  from  a  robber  and  a  coward  like 
Count  von  Schonburg,  brave  only  in  his  own  Judgment 
Hall." 


56  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Oh,  Wilhelm,  Wilhelm,  have  a  care  what  you  say, 
or  you  will  break  my  heart.  And  your  proclamation  is 
far  from  true.  The  Count  is  a  brave  man  who  has  time 
and  again  proved  himself  so,  and  my  only  hope  is  that 
he  will  prove  as  merciful  as  he  is  undoubtedly  cour- 
ageous. Join  your  prayers  with  mine,  Wilhelm,  and 
beg  for  mercy  rather  than  justice." 

"  I  beg  from  no  man,  either  mercy  or  justice.  I  am 
here,  my  Lord  Count,  ready  to  receive  whatever  you 
care  to  bestow,  and  I  ask  you  to  make  the  waiting 
brief  for  the  sake  of  the  women  present,  for  I  am 
sure  the  beautiful,  white-haired  lady  there  dislikes  this 
traffic  in  men's  lives  as  much  as  does  my  fair-haired 
cousin." 

"  Oh,  my  lord  Count,  do  not  heed  what  he  says ;  his 
words  but  show  the  recklessness  of  youth ;  hold  them 
not  against  him." 

"  Indeed  I  mean  each  word  I  say,  and  had  I  iron  in 
my  hand  instead  of  round  my  wrists,  his  Lordship 
would  not  sit  so  calmly  facing  me." 

Elsa,  seeing  how  little  she  had  accomplished  with 
either  man  began  to  weep  helplessly,  and  the  Count, 
who  had  not  interrupted  the  colloquy,  listening  un- 
moved to  the  contumely  heaped  upon  him  by  the 
prisoner,  now  said  to  the  girl : 

"  Have  you  finished  your  questioning?  " 

Receiving  no  answer,  he  said  to  the  prisoner  after  a 
pause : 

"  Why  did  you  move  against  this  castle  ?  " 

"  Because  I  hoped  to  take  it,  burn  it,  and  hang  or 
behead  its  owner." 

"  Oh,  Wilhelm,  Wilhelm  !  "  wailed  the  girl. 

"  And,  having  failed,  what  do  you  expect  ?  " 

"  To  be  hanged,  or  beheaded,  depending  on  whether 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   57 

your  Lordship  is  the  more  expert  with  a  cord  or  with 
an  axe." 

"  You  called  me  a  coward,  and  I  might  have  retorted 
that  in  doing  so  you  took  advantage  of  your  position  as 
prisoner,  but  setting  that  aside,  and  speaking  as  man  to 
man,  what  ground  have  you  for  such  an  accusation  ?  " 

"  We  cannot  speak  as  man  to  man,  for  I  am  bound 
and  you  are  free,  but  touching  the  question  of  your 
cowardice,  I  have  heard  it  said  by  those  who  took  part 
in  the  defence  of  my  father's  castle,  when  you  attacked 
it  and  destroyed  it,  commanding  a  vastly  superior  force, 
my  father  leaped  from  the  wall  and  dared  you  to  follow 
him.  For  a  moment,  they  told  me,  it  seemed  that  you 
would  accept  the  challenge,  but  you  contented  your- 
self with  calling  on  others  to  do  what  you  feared  to  do 
yourself,  and  thus  my  father,  meeting  no  opposition 
from  a  man  of  his  own  rank,  was  compelled  to  destroy 
the  unfortunate  serfs  who  stood  in  his  way  and  so  cut 
out  a  path  to  safety.  In  refusing  to  accept  the  plunge 
he  took,  you  branded  yourself  a  coward,  and  once  a 
coward  always  a  coward." 

"  Oh,  Wilhelm,"  cried  Elsa,  in  deep  distress  at 
the  young  man's  lack  of  diplomacy,  while  she  could 
not  but  admire  his  ill-timed  boldness,  "  speak  not  so 
to  the  Count,  for  I  am  sure  what  you  say  is  not 
true." 

"  Indeed,"  growled  Captain  Conrad,  "  the  young 
villain  is  more  crafty  than  we  gave  him  credit  for.  In- 
stead of  a  rope  he  will  have  a  challenge  from  the  Count, 
and  so  die  honourably  like  a  man,  in  place  of  being 
strangled  like  the  dog  he  is." 

"  Dear  Wilhelm,  for  my  sake,  do  not  persist  in  this 
course,  but  throw  yourself  on  the  mercy  of  the  Count. 
Why  retail  here  the  irresponsible  gossip  of  a  camp, 


58  THE  STRONG  ARM 

which  I  am  sure  contains  not  a  word  of  truth,  so  far  as 
the  Count  is  concerned." 

Herbert  of  Schonburg  held  up  his  hand  for  silence, 
and  made  confession  with  evident  difficulty. 

"  What  the  young  man  says  with  harshness  is  true 
in  semblance,  if  not  strictly  so  in  action.  For  the 
moment,  thinking  of  my  wife  and  child,  I  hesitated, 
and  when  the  hesitation  was  gone  the  opportunity  was 
gone  with  it.  My  punishment  has  been  severe;  by 
that  moment's  cowardice,  I  am  now  a  childless  man, 
and  therefore  perhaps  value  my  life  less  highly  than  I 
held  it  at  the  time  we  speak  of.  Hear  then,  your  sen- 
tence :  You  will  be  taken  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  the 
iron  removed  from  your  wrists,  and  your  sword  placed 
in  your  hand.  You  will  then  leap  from  that  wall,  and 
if  you  are  unhurt,  I  will  leap  after  you.  Should  your 
sword  serve  you  as  well  as  your  father's  served  him,  you 
will  be  free  of  the  forest,  and  this  girl  is  at  liberty  to 
accompany  you.  I  ask  her  now  to  betake  herself  to 
the  field  outside  the  gate,  there  to  await  the  result  of 
our  contest." 

At  this  there  was  an  outcry  on  the  part  of  Countess 
Beatrix,  who  protested  against  her  husband  placing 
himself  in  this  unnecessary  jeopardy,  but  the  Count 
was  firm  and  would  permit  no  interference  with  his 
sentence.  Elsa  was  in  despair  at  the  unaccountable 
blindness  of  all  concerned,  not  knowing  that  the  Count 
was  convinced  his  son  was  dead,  and  that  the  Countess 
thought  continually  of  her  boy  as  a  child  of  four,  tak- 
ing no  account  -of  the  years  that  had  passed,  although 
her  reason,  had  she  applied  reason  to  that  which  touched 
her  affections  only,  would  have  told  her  he  must  now 
be  a  stalwart  young  man  and  not  the  little  lad  she  had 
last  held  in  her  arms.  For  a  moment  Elsa  wavered  in 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   59 

her  allegiance  to  the  oath  she  had  taken,  but  she  saw 
against  the  wall  the  great  crucifix  which  had  been 
placed  there  by  the  first  crusader  who  had  returned  to 
the  castle  from  the  holy  wars  and  she  breathed  a  prayer 
as  she  passed  it,  that  the  heir  of  this  stubborn  house 
might  not  be  cut  off  in  his  youth  through  the  sightless 
rancour  that  seemed  to  pervade  it. 

The  Count  tried  to  persuade  his  weeping  wife  not  to 
accompany  him  to  the  walls,  but  she  would  not  be  left 
behind,  and  so,  telling  Conrad  to,  keep  close  watch  upon 
her,  in  case  that  in  her  despair  she  might  attempt  to 
harm  herself,  his  lordship  led  the  way  to  the  battle- 
ments. 

Wilhelm,  at  first  jubilant  that  he  was  allowed  to  take 
part  in  a  sword  contest  rather  than  an  execution,  paused 
for  a  moment  as  he  came  to  the  courtyard,  and  looked 
about  him  in  a  dazed  manner,  once  or  twice  drawing 
his  hand  across  his  eyes,  as  if  to  perfect  his  vision. 
Some  seeing  him  thus  stricken  silent  and  thoughtful, 
surmised  that  the  young  man  was  like  to  prove  more 
courageous  in  word  than  in  action ;  others  imagined 
that  the  sudden  coming  from  the  semi-gloom  of  the 
castle  interior  into  the  bright  light  dazzled  him.  The 
party  climbed  the  flight  of  stone  steps  which  led  far  up- 
ward to  the  platform  edged  by  the  parapet  from  which 
the  spring  was  to  be  made.  The  young  man  walked 
up  and  down  the  promenade,  unheeding  those  around 
him,  seeming  like  one  in  a  dream,  groping  for  some- 
thing he  failed  to  find.  The  onlookers  watched  him 
curiously,  wondering  at  his  change  of  demeanour. 

Suddenly  he  dropped  his  sword  on  the  stones  at  his 
feet,  held  up  his  hands  and  cried  aloud : 

"  I  have  jumped  from  here  before — when  I  was  a 
lad  — a  baby  almost — I  remember  it  all  now — where 


60  THE  STRONG  ARM 

am  I — when  was  I  here  before — where  is  my  wooden 
sword — and  where  is  Conrad,  who  made  it — Conrad, 
where  are  you  ?  " 

The  captain  was  the  first  to  realise  what  had  hap- 
pened. He  stepped  hurriedly  forward,  scrutinising  his 
late  prisoner,  the  light  of  recognition  in  his  eyes. 

"  It  is  the  young  master,"  he  shouted.  "My  Lord 
Count,  this  is  no  kinsman  of  the  Outlaw,  but  your  own 
son,  a  man  grown." 

The  Count  stood  amazed,  as  incapable  of  motion  as 
a  statue  of  stone ;  the  countess,  gazing  with  dreamy 
eyes,  seemed  trying  to  adjust  her  inward  vision  of  the 
lad  of  four  with  the  outward  reality  of  the  man  of 
twenty-one.  In  the  silence  rose  the  clear  sweet  voice 
of  Elsa  without  the  walls,  her  face  upturned  like  a 
painting  of  the  Madonna,  her  hands  clasped  in  front 
of  her. 

"  Dear  Virgin  Mother  in  Heaven,  I  thank  thee  that 
my  prayer  was  not  unheard,  and  bear  me  witness  that 
I  have  kept  my  oath — I  have  kept  my  oath,  and  may 
Thy  intervention  show  a  proud  and  sinful  people  the 
blackness  of  revenge." 

Count  Herbert,  rousing  himself  from  his  stupor,  ap- 
pealed loudly  to  the  girl. 

"  Woman,  is  this  indeed  my  son,  and,  if  so,  why  did 
you  not  speak  before  we  came  to  such  extremity  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  answer.  I  have  sworn  an  oath.  If  you 
would  learn  who  stands  beside  you,  send  a  messenger 
to  the  Outlaw,  saying  you  have  killed  him,  as  indeed 
you  purposed  doing,"  then  stretching  out  her  arms,  she 
said,  with  faltering  voice :  "  Wilhelm,  farewell,"  and 
turning,  fled  toward  the  forest. 

"  Elsa,  Elsa,  come  back !  "  the  young  man  cried, 
his  foot  on  the  parapet,  but  the  girl  paid  no  heed  to 


THE  REVENGE  OF  THE  OUTLAW   61 

his  commanding  summons,  merely  waving  her  hand 
without  looking  over  her  shoulder. 

"  Elsa !  " 

The  name  rang  out  so  thrillingly  strange  that  its 
reverberation  instantly  arrested  the  flying  footsteps  of 
the  girl.  Instinctively  she  knew  it  was  the  voice  of  a 
man  falling  rapidly  through  the  air.  She  turned  in 
time  to  see  Wilhelm  strike  the  ground,  the  impetus 
precipitating  him  prone  on  his  face,  where  he  lay  mo- 
tionless. The  cry  of  horror  from  the  battlements  was 
echoed  by  her  own  as  she  sped  swiftly  toward  him. 
The  young  man  sprang  to  his  feet  as  she  approached 
and  caught  her  breathless  in  his  arms. 

"  Ah,  Elsa,"  he  said,  tenderly,  "  forgive  me  the 
fright  I  gave  you,  but  I  knew  of  old  your  fleetness  of 
foot,  and  if  the  forest  once  encircled  you,  how  was  I 
ever  to  find  you  ?  " 

The  girl  made  no  effort  to  escape  from  her  imprison- 
ment, and  showed  little  desire  to  exchange  the  embrace 
she  endured  for  that  of  the  forest. 

"  Though  I  should  blush  to  say  it,  Wilhelm,  I  fear  I 
am  easily  found,  when  you  are  the  searcher." 

"  Then  let  old  Schloss  Schonburg  claim  you,  Elsa, 
that  the  walls  which  beheld  a  son  go  forth,  may  see  a 
son  and  daughter  return." 


CHAPTER  III 

A    CITY    OF    FEAR 

THE  Countess  Beatrix  von  Schonburg  warmly  wel- 
comed her  lost  son  and  her  newly-found  daughter. 
The  belief  of  Beatrix  in  Wilhelm's  ultimate  return 
had  never  wavered  during  all  the  long  years  of  his 
absence,  and  although  she  had  to  translate  her  dream  of 
the  child  of  four  into  a  reality  that  included  a  stalwart 
young  man  of  twenty-one,  the  readjustment  was 
speedily  accomplished.  Before  a  week  had  passed  it 
seemed  to  her  delighted  heart  that  the  boy  had  never 
left  the  castle.  The  Countess  had  liked  Elsafrom  the 
first  moment  when  she  saw  her,  ragged,  unkempt  and 
forlorn,  among  the  lowering,  suspicious  men-at-arms  in 
the  courtyard,  and  now  that  she  knew  the  dangers 
and  the  privations  the  girl  had  braved  for  the  sake  of 
Wilhelm,  the  affectionate  heart  of  Beatrix  found  ample 
room  for  the  motherless  Elsa. 

With  the  Count,  the  process  of  mental  reconstruc- 
tion was  slower,  not  only  on  account  of  his  former 
conviction  that  his  son  was  dead,  but  also  because  of 
the  deep  distrust  in  which  he  held  the  Outlaw.  He 
said  little,  as  was  his  custom,  but  often  sat  with  brood- 
ing brows,  intently  regarding  his  son,  gloomy  doubt 
casting  a  shadow  over  his  stern  countenance.  Might 
not  this  be  a  well-laid  plot  on  the  part  of  the  Outlaw 
to  make  revenge  complete  by  placing  a  von  Weithoff 
in  the  halls  of  Schonburg  as  master  of  that  ancient 

stronghold  ?    The  circumstances  in  which  identity  was 
62 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  63 

disclosed,  although  sufficient  to  convince  every  one 
else  in  the  castle,  appeared  at  times  to  the  Count  but 
the  stronger  evidence  of  the  Outlaw's  craft  and'' 
subtlety.  If  the  young  man  were  actually  the  son  of 
von  Weithoff,  then  undoubtedly  the  Outlaw  had  run 
great  risk  of  having  him  hanged  forthwith,  but  on  the 
other  hand,  the  prize  to  be  gained,  comprising  as  it 
did  two  notable  castles  and  two  wide  domains,  was 
a  stake  worth  playing  high  for,  and  a  stake  which 
appealed  strongly  to  a  houseless,  landless  man,  with 
not  even  a  name  worth  leaving  to  his  son.  Thus, 
while  the  Countess  lavished  her  affection  on  young 
Wilhelm,  noticing  nothing  of  her  husband's  distrac- 
tion in  this  excessive  happiness,  Count  Herbert  sat 
alone  in  the  lofty  Knight's  Hall,  his  elbows  resting  on 
the  table  before  him,  his  head  buried  in  his  hands, 
ruminating  on  the  strange  transformation  that  had 
taken  place,  endeavouring  to  weigh  the  evidence  pro 
and  con  with  the  impartial  mind  of  an  outsider,  be- 
coming the  more  bewildered  the  deeper  he  penetrated 
into  the  mystery. 

It  was  in  this  despondent  attitude  that  Elsa  found 
him  a  few  days  after  the  leap  from  the  wall  that  had 
caused  her  return  to  Schonburg,  a  willing  captive. 
The  Count  did  not  look  up  when  she  entered,  and  the 
girl  stood  for  a  few  moments  in  silence  near  him.  At 
last  she  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  hesitating  slightly, 
nevertheless  going  with  incisive  directness  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  problem  that  baffled  Count  Herbert. 

"  My  Lord,  you  do  not  believe  that  Wilhelm  is 
indeed  your  son." 

The  master  of  Schonburg  raised  his  head  slowly 
and  looked  searchingly  into  the  frank  face  of  the  girl, 
gloomy  distrust  reflected  from  his  own  countenance. 


64  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Were  you  sent  by  your  uncle  to  allay  my  sus- 
picion ?  " 

"  No,  my  Lord.  I  thought  that  a  hint  of  the  truth 
being  given,  Nature  would  come  to  the  assistance  of 
mutual  recognition.  Such  has  been  the  case  between 
my  lady  and  her  son,  but  I  see  that  you  are  still 
unconvinced." 

"  For  my  sins,  I  know  something  of  the  wickedness 
of  this  world,  a  knowledge  from  which  her  purity  has 
protected  the  Countess.  You  believe  that  Wilhelm  is 
my  son?  " 

"  I  have  never  said  so,  my  Lord." 

"  What  you  did  say  was  that  you  had  taken  an 
oath.  You  are  too  young  and  doubtless  too  innocent 
to  be  a  party  to  any  plot,  but  you  may  have  been  the 
tool  of  an  unscrupulous  man,  who  knew  the  oath 
would  be  broken  when  the  strain  of  a  strong  affection 
was  brought  to  bear  upon  it." 

"  Yet,  my  Lord,  I  kept  my  oath,  although  I  saw  my — 
my — 

The  girl  hesitated  and  blushed,  but  finally  spoke  up 
bravely : 

"  I  saw  my  lover  led  to  his  destruction.  If  Wilhelm 
is  my  cousin,  then  did  his  father  take  a  desperate 
chance  in  trusting  first  to  my  escape  from  the  camp, 
and  second  to  my  perjury.  You  endow  him  with 
more  than  human  foresight,  my  Lord." 

"  He  builded  on  your  love  for  Wilhelm,  which  he 
had  seen  growing  under  his  eye  before  either  you  or 
the  lad  had  suspicion  of  its  existence.  I  know  the 
man,  and  he  is  a  match  for  Satan,  his  master." 

"  But  Satan  has  been  discomfited  ere  now  by  the 
angels  of  light,  and  even  by  holy  men,  if  legend  tells 
truly.  I  have  little  knowledge  of  the  world,  as  you 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  65 

have  said,  but  the  case  appears  to  me  one  of  the 
simplest.  If  my  uncle  wished  the  bitterest  revenge  on 
you,  what  could  be  more  terrible  than  cause  you  to  be 
the  executioner  of  your  own  son  ?  The  vengeance, 
however,  to  be  complete,  depends  on  his  being  able  to 
place  before  you  incontrovertible  proof  that  you  were 
the  father  of  the  victim.  Send,  therefore,  a  messenger 
to  him,  one  from  Gudenfels,  who  knows  nothing  of 
what  has  happened  in  this  castle  of  Schonburg,  and 
who  is  therefore  unable  to  disclose,  even  if  forced  to 
confess,  that  Wilhelm  is  alive.  Let  the  messenger 
inform  my  uncle  that  his  son  is  no  more,  which  is  true 
enough,  and  then  await  the  Outlaw's  reply.  And 
meanwhile  let  me  venture  to  warn  you,  my  Lord,  that 
it  would  be  well  to  conceal  your  disbelief  from  Wil- 
helm, for  he  is  high-spirited,  and  if  he  gets  but  an 
inkling  that  you  distrust  him,  he  will  depart  ;  for  not 
all  your  possessions  will  hold  your  son  if  he  once 
learns  that  you  doubt  him,  so  you  are  like  to  find 
yourself  childless  again,  if  your  present  mood  masters 
you  much  longer." 

The  Count  drew  a  deep  sigh,  then  roused  himself 
and  seemed  to  shake  off  the  influence  that  enchained 
him. 

"  Thank  you,  my  girl,"  he  cried,  with  something  of 
the  old  ring  in  his  voice,  "  I  shall  do  as  you  advise, 
and  if  this  embassy  results  as  you  say,  you  will  ever 
find  your  staunchest  friend  in  me." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  Elsa,  and  departed  to  his 
other  castle  of  Gudenfels  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Rhine.  From  thence  he  sent  a  messenger  who  had  no 
knowledge  of  what  was  happening  in  Schonburg. 

When  at  last  the  messenger  returned  from  the  Out- 
law's camp,  he  brought  with  him  a  wailing  woman  and 
5 


66  THE  STRONG  ARM 

grim  tidings  that  he  feared  to  deliver.  Thrice  his 
lordship  demanded  his  account,  the  last  time  with 
such  sternness  that  the  messenger  quailed  before 
him. 

"  My  Lord,"  he  stammered  at  last,  "  a  frightful  thing 
has  taken  place — would  that  I  had  died  before  it  was 
told  to  me.  The  young  man  your  lordship  hanged 
was  no  other  than 

"  Well,  why  do  you  pause  ?  You  were  going  to  say 
he  was  my  own  son.  What  proof  does  the  Outlaw 
offer  that  such  was  indeed  the  case  ?  " 

"Alas!  my  Lord,  the  proof  seems  clear  enough. 
Here  with  me  is  young  Lord  Wilhelm's  nurse,  whose 
first  neglect  led  to  his  abduction,  and  who  fled  to  the 
forest  after  him,  and  was  never  found.  She  followed 
him  to  the  Outlaw's  camp,  and  was  there  kept  prisoner 
by  him  until  she  was  at  last  given  charge  of  the  lad, 
under  oath  that  she  would  teach  him  to  forget  who  he 
was,  the  fierce  Outlaw  threatening  death  to  both 
woman  and  child  were  his  orders  disobeyed.  She  has 
come  willingly  with  me  hoping  to  suffer  death  now 
that  one  she  loved  more  than  son  has  died  through 
her  first  fault." 

Then  to  the  amazement  of  the  pallid  messenger  the 
Count  laughed  aloud  and  called  for  Wilhelm,  who, 
when  he  was  brought,  clasped  the  trembling  old  wo- 
man in  his  arms,  overjoyed  to  see  her  again  and  eager 
to  learn  news  of  the  camp.  How  was  the  stout  Gott- 
lieb ?  Had  the  messenger  seen  Captain  Heinrich  ?  and 
so  on. 

"  Indeed,  my  young  Lord,"  answered  the  overjoyed 
woman  "there  was  such  turmoil  in  the  camp  that  I 
was  glad  to  be  quit  of  it  with  unbroken  bones.  When 
the  Outlaw  proclaimed  that  you  were  hanged,  there 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  67 

was  instant  rebellion  among  his  followers,  who  thought 
that  your  capture  was  merely  a  trick  to  be  speedily 
amended,  being  intended  to  form  a  laughing  matter 
to  your  discomfiture  when  you  returned.  They  swore 
they  would  have  torn  down  Schonburg  with  their  bare 
hands  rather  than  have  left  you  in  jeopardy,  had  they 
known  their  retreat  imperilled  your  life." 

"  The  brave  lads  !  "  cried  the  young  man  in  a  glow 
of  enthusiasm,  "  and  here  have  I  been  maligning  them 
for  cowards  !  What  was  the  outcome  ?  " 

"  That  I  do  not  know,  my  Lord,  being  glad  to  escape 
from  the  ruffians  with  unfractured  head." 

The  result  of  the  embassy  was  speedily  apparent  at 
Schonburg.  Two  days  later,  in  the  early  morning,  the 
custodians  at  the  gate  were  startled  by  the  shrill  Out- 
law yell,  which  had  on  so  many  occasions  carried  ter- 
ror with  it  into  the  hearts  of  Rhine  strongholds. 

"  Come  out,  Hangman  of  Schonburg  !  "  they  shouted, 
"come  out,  murderer  of  a  defenceless  prisoner.  Come 
out,  before  we  drag  you  forth,  for  the  rope  is  waiting 
for  your  neck  and  the  gallows  tree  is  waiting  for  the 
rope." 

Count  Herbert  was  first  on  the  battlements,  and 
curtly  he  commanded  his  men  not  to  launch  bolt  at  the 
invaders,  knowing  the  outlaws  mistakenly  supposed 
him  to  be  the  executioner  of  their  former  comrade. 
A  moment  later  young  Wilhelm  himself  appeared  on 
the  wall  above  the  gate,  and,  lifting  his  arms  above  his 
head  raised  a  great  shout  of  joy  at  seeing  there  col- 
lected his  old  companions,  calling  this  one  or  that 
by  name  as  he  recognised  them  among  the  seething, 
excited  throng.  There  was  an  instant's  cessation  of 
the  clamour,  then  the  outlaws  sent  forth  a  cheer  that 
echoed  from  all  the  hills  around.  They  brandished 


68  THE  STRONG  ARM 

their  weapons  aloft,  and  cheered  again  and  again,  the 
garrison  of  the  castle,  now  bristling  along  the  battle- 
ments, joining  in  the  tumult  with  strident  voices.  Gott- 
lieb advanced  some  distance  toward  the  gate,  and 
holding  up  his  hand  for  silence  addressed  Wilhelm. 

"  Young  master,"  he  cried,  "  we  have  deposed  von 
Weithoff,  and  would  have  hanged  him,  but  that  he  es- 
caped during  the  night,  fled  to  Mayence  and  besought 
protection  of  the  Archbishop.  If  you  will  be  our 
leader  we  will  sack  Mayence  and  hang  the  Archbishop 
from  his  own  cathedral  tower." 

"  That  can  I  hardly  do,  Gottlieb,  as  a  messenger  has 
been  sent  to  the  Archbishop  asking  him  to  come  to 
Schonburg  and  marry  Elsa  to  me.  He  might  take  our 
invasion  as  an  unfriendly  act  and  refuse  to  perform  the 
ceremony." 

Gottlieb  scratched  his  head  as  one  in  perplexity,  see- 
ing before  him  a  question  of  etiquette  that  he  found 
difficult  to  solve.  At  last  he  said  : 

"  What  need  of  Archbishop  ?  You  and  Elsa  have 
been  brought  up  among  us,  therefore  confer  honour  on 
our  free  company  by  being  married  by  our  own  Monk 
who  has  tied  many  a  knot  tight  enough  to  hold  the 
most  wayward  of  our  band.  The  aisles  of  the  mighty 
oaks  are  more  grand  than  the  cathedral  at  Mayence  or 
the  great  hall  of  Schonburg." 

"  Indeed  I  am  agreed,  if  Elsa  is  willing.  We  will  be 
married  first  in  the  forest  and  then  by  the  Archbishop 
in  the  great  hall  of  Schonburg." 

"  In  such  case  there  will  be  delay,  for  now  that  I  be- 
think me,  his  Lordship  of  Mayence  has  taken  himself  to 
Frankfort,  where  he  is  to  meet  the  Archbishops  of 
Treves  and  Cologne  who  will  presently  journey  to  the 
capital.  We  were  thinking  of  falling  upon  his  rever- 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  69 

ence  of  Cologne  as  he  passed  up  the  river,  unless  he 
comes  with  an  escort  too  numerous  for  us,  which,  alas  ! 
is  most  likely,  so  suspicious  has  the  world  grown." 

"  You  will  be  wise  not  to  meddle  with  the  princes  of 
the  Church,  be  their  escorts  large  or  small." 

"  Then,  Master  Wilhelm,  be  our  leader,  for  we  are 
likely  to  get  into  trouble  unless  a  man  of  quality  is  at 
our  head." 

Wilhelm  breathed  a  deep  sigh  and  glanced  sideways 
at  his  father,  who  stood  some  distance  off,  leaning  on 
his  two-handed  sword,  a  silent  spectator  of  the  meeting. 

"  The  free  life  of  the  forest  is  no  more  for  me,  Got- 
tlieb. My  duty  is  here  in  the  castle  of  my  forefathers, 
much  though  I  grieve  to  part  with  you." 

This  decision  seemed  to  have  a  depressing  effect  on 
the  outlaws  within  hearing.  Gottlieb  retired,  and  the 
band  consulted  together  for  a  time,  then  their  spokes- 
man again  advanced. 

"  Some  while  since,"  he  began  in  dolorous  tone, 
"  we  appealed  to  the  Emperor  to  pardon  us,  promising 
in  such  case  to  quit  our  life  of  outlawry  and  take 
honest  service  with  those  nobles  who  needed  stout 
blades,  but  his  Majesty  sent  reply  that  if  we  came  un- 
armed to  the  capital  and  tendered  submission,  he  would 
be  graciously  pleased  to  hang  a  round  dozen  of  us  to 
be  selected  by  him,  scourge  the  rest  through  the  streets 
of  Frankfort  and  so  bestow  his  clemency  on  such  as 
survived.  This  imperial  tender  we  did  not  accept,  as 
there  was  some  uncertainty  regarding  whose  neck 
should  feel  the  rope  and  whose  back  the  scourge. 
While  all  were  willing  to  admit  that  more  than  a  dozen 
of  us  sorely  needed  hanging,  yet  each  man  seemed 
loath  to  claim  precedence  over  his  neighbour  in  wicked- 
ness, and  desired,  in  some  sort,  a  voice  in  the  selection 


70  THE  STRONG  ARM 

of  the  victims.  But  if  you  will  accept  our  following, 
Master  Wilhelm,  we  will  repair  at  once  to  Frankfort 
and  make  submission  to  his  Majesty  the  Emperor.  The 
remnant  being  well  scourged,  will  then  return  to  Schon- 
burg  to  place  themselves  under  your  command." 

"Are  you  willing  then  to  hang  for  me,  Gottlieb?" 

"  I  hanker  not  after  the  hanging,  but  if  hang  we 
must,  there  is  no  man  I  would  rather  hang  for  than 
Wilhelm,  formerly  of  the  forest,  but  now,  alas !  of 
Schonburg.  And  so  say  they  all  without  dissent, 
therefore  the  unanimity  must  needs  include  the  eleven 
other  danglers." 

"  Then  draw  nigh,  all  of  you,  to  the  walls  and  hear 
my  decision." 

Gottlieb  waving  his  arms,  hailed  the  outlaws  troop- 
ing to  the  walls,  and,  his  upraised  hand  bringing 
silence,  Wilhelm  spoke : 

"  Such  sacrifice  as  you  propose,  I  cannot  accept,  yet 
I  dearly  wish  to  lead  a  band  of  men  like  you.  Elsa 
and  I  shall  be  married  by  our  ancient  woodland  father 
in  the  forest  and  then  by  the  Abbot  of  St.  Werner  in 
the  hall  of  Schonburg.  We  will  make  our  wedding 
journey  to  Frankfort,  and  you  shall  be  our  escort  and 
our  protectors." 

There  was  for  some  moments  such  cheering  at  this 
that  the  young  man  was  compelled  to  pause  in  his  ad- 
dress, and  then  as  the  outcry  was  again  and  again  re- 
newed, he  looked  about  for  the  cause  and  saw  that  Elsa 
and  his  mother  had  taken  places  on  the  balcony  which 
overlooked  the  animated  scene.  The  beautiful  girl  had 
been  recognised  by  the  rebels  and  she  waved  her  hand 
in  response  to  their  shouting. 

"We  will  part  company,"  resumed  Wilhelm,  "  as 
near  Frankfort  as  it  is  safe  for  you  to  go,  and  my  wife 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  71 

and  I,  accompanied  by  a  score  of  men  from  this  castle, 
will  enter  the  capital.  I  will  beg  your  complete  par- 
don  from  his  Majesty  and  if  at  first  it  is  refused,  I 
think  Elsa  will  have  better  success  with  the  Empress,, 
who  may  incline  her  imperial  husband  toward  clemency. 
All  this  I  promise,  providing  I  receive  the  consent  and 
support  of  my  father,  and  I  am  not  likely  to  be  refused, 
for  he  already  knows  the  persuasive  power  of  my  dear 
betrothed  when  she  pleads  for  mercy." 

"  My  consent  and  support  I  most  willingly  bestow," 
said  the  Count,  with  a  fervour  that  left  no  doubt  of  his 
sincerity. 

The  double  marriage  was  duly  solemnised,  and 
Wilhelm,  with  his  newly-made  wife,  completed  their 
journey  to  Frankfort,  escorted  until  almost  within 
sight  of  the  capital  by  five  hundred  and  twenty  men, 
but  they  entered  the  gates  of  the  city  accompanied  by 
only  the  score  of  Schonburg  men,  the  remaining  five 
hundred  concealing  themselves  in  the  rough  country, 
as  they  well  knew  how  to  do. 

Neither  Wilhelm  nor  Elsa  had  ever  seen  a  large  city 
before,  and  silence  fell  upon  them  as  they  approached 
the  western  gate,  for  they  were  coming  upon  a  world 
strange  to  them,  and  Wilhelm  felt  an  unaccustomed 
elation  stir  within  his  breast,  as  if  he  were  on  the  edge 
of  some  adventure  that  might  have  an  important  bear- 
ing on  his  future.  Instead  of  passing  peaceably 
through  the  gate  as  he  had  expected,  the  cavalcade 
was  halted  after  the  two  had  ridden  under  the  gloomy 
stone  archway,  and  the  portcullis  was  dropped  with  a 
sudden  clang,  shutting  out  the  twenty  riders  who  fol- 
lowed. One  of  several  officers  who  sat  on  a  stone 
bench  that  fronted  the  guard-house  within  the  walls, 
rose  and  came  forward. 


72  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  What  is  your  name  and  quality  ?  "  he  demanded, 
gruffly. 

"  I  am  Wilhelm,  son  of  Count  von  Schonberg." 

"  What  is  your  business  here  in  Frankfort  ?  " 

"  My  business  relates  to  the  emperor,  and  is  not  to 
be  delivered  to  the  first  underling  who  has  the  impu- 
dence to  make  inquiry,"  replied  Wilhelm  in  a  haughty 
tone,  which  could  scarcely  be  regarded,  in  the  circum- 
stances, as  diplomatic. 

Nevertheless,  the  answer  did  not  seem  to  be  resented, 
but  rather  appeared  to  have  a  subduing  effect  on  the 
questioner,  who  turned,  as  if  for  further  instruction,  to 
another  officer,  evidently  his  superior  in  rank.  The 
latter  now  rose,  came  forward,  doffing  his  cap,  and 
said : 

"  I  understand  your  answer  better  than  he  to  whom 
it  was  given,  my  Lord." 

"  I  am  glad  there  is  one  man  of  sense  at  a  gate  of 
the  capital,"  said  Wilhelm,  with  no  relaxation  of  his 
dignity,  but  nevertheless  bewildered  at  the  turn  the 
talk  had  taken,  seeing  there  was  something  underneath 
all  this  which  he  did  not  comprehend,  yet  resolved  to 
carry  matters  with  a  high  hand  until  greater  clearness 
came  to  the  situation. 

"  Will  you  order  the  portcullis  raised  and  permit  my 
men  to  follow  me?" 

"  They  are  but  temporarily  detained  until  we  decide 
where  to  quarter  them,  my  Lord.  You  know,"  he 
added,  lowering  his  voice,  "  the  necessity  for  caution. 
Are  you  for  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  of  Cologne,  or 
of  Mayence?  " 

"  I  am  from  the  district  of  Mayence,  of  course." 

"  And  are  you  for  the  archbishop  ?  " 

"  For   the   archbishop   certainly.     He   would   have 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  73 

honoured  me  by  performing  our  marriage  ceremony  had 
he  not  been  called  by  important  affairs  of  state  to  the 
capital,  as  you  may  easily  learn  by  asking  him,  now 
that  he  is  within  these  walls." 

The  officer  bowed  low  with  great  obsequiousness 
and  said  : 

"  Your  reply  is  more  than  sufficient,  my  Lord,  and  I 
trust  you  will  pardon  the  delay  we  have  caused  you. 
The  men  of  Mayence  are  quartered  in  the  Leinwand- 
haus,  where  room  will  doubtless  be  made  for  your  fol- 
lowers. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  draw  upon  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  good  Archbishop,  as  I  lodge  in  my 
father's  town  house  near  the  palace,  and  there  is  room 
within  for  the  small  escort  I  bring." 

Again  the  officer  bowed  to  the  ground,  and  the  port- 
cullis being  by  this  time  raised,  the  twenty  horsemen 
came  clattering  under  the  archway,  and  thus,  without 
further  molestation,  they  arrived  at  the  house  of  the 
Count  von  Schonburg. 

"  Elsa,"  said  Wilhelm,  when  they  were  alone  in  their 
room,  "  there  is  something  wrong  in  this  city.  Men 
look  with  fear  one  upon  another,  and  pass  on  hurriedly, 
as  if  to  avoid  question.  Others  stand  in  groups  at  the 
street  corners  and  speak  in  whispers,  glancing  furtively 
over  their  shoulders." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  the  custom  in  cities,"  replied  Elsa. 

"  I  doubt  it.  I  have  heard  that  townsmen  are  eager 
for  traffic,  inviting  all  comers  to  buy,  but  here  most  of 
the  shops  are  barred,  and  no  customers  are  solicited. 
They  seem  to  me  like  people  under  a  cloud  of  fear. 
What  can  it  be  ?  " 

"  We  are  more  used  to  the  forest  path  than  to  city 
streets,  Wilhelm.  They  will  all  become  familiar  to  us 


74  THE  STRONG  ARM 

in  a  day  or  two,  yet  I  feel  as  if  I  could  not  get  a  full 
breath  in  these  narrow  streets,  and  I  long  for  the  trees 
already,  but  perhaps  content  will  come  with  waiting." 

"  'Tis  deeper  than  that.  There  is  something  omi- 
nous in  the  air.  Noted  you  not  the  questioning  at  the 
gate  and  its  purport  ?  They  asked  me  if  I  favoured 
Treves,  or  Cologne,  or  Mayence,  but  none  inquired  if 
I  stood  loyal  to  the  Emperor,  yet  I  was  entering  his 
capital  city  of  Frankfort." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  learn  all  from  the  Emperor  when 
you  see  him,"  ventured  Elsa. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Wilhelm. 

The  chamberlain  of  the  von  Schonburg  household, 
who  had  supervised  the  arrangements  for  the  reception 
of  the  young  couple,  waited  upon  his  master  in  the 
evening  and  informed  him  that  the  Emperor  would  not 
be  visible  for  some  days  to  come. 

"  He  has  gone  into  retreat,  in  the  cloisters  attached 
to  the  cathedral,  and  it  is  the  imperial  will  that  none 
disturb  him  on  worldly  affairs.  Each  day  at  the  hour 
when  the  court  assembles  at  the  palace,  the  Emperor 
hears  exhortation  from  the  pious  fathers  in  the  Wahl- 
kapelle  of  the  cathedral;  the  chapel  in  which  emperors 
are  elected  ;  these  exhortations  pertaining  to  the  ruling 
of  the  land,  which  his  majesty  desires  to  govern  justly 
and  well. 

"  An  excellent  intention,"  commented  the  young 
man,  with  suspicion  of  impatience  in  his  tone,  "  but 
meanwhile,  how  are  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  country 
conducted  ?  " 

"  The  Empress  Brunhilda  is  for  the  moment  the 
actual  head  of  the  state.  Whatever  act  of  the  ministers 
receives  her  approval,  is  sent  by  a  monk  to  the  Emperor, 
who  signs  any  document  so  submitted  to  him." 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  75 

"  Were  her  majesty  an  ambitious  woman,  such  trans- 
ference of  power  might  prove  dangerous." 

"  She  is  an  ambitious  woman,  but  devoted  to  her 
husband,  who,  it  perhaps  may  be  whispered,  is  more 
monk  than  king,"  replied  the  chamberlain  under  his 
breath.  "  Her  majesty  has  heard  of  your  lordship's 
romantic  adventures  and  has  been  graciously  pleased 
to  command  that  you  and  her  ladyship,  your  wife,  be 
presented  to  her  to-morrow  in  presence  of  the  court." 

"  This  is  a  command  which  it  will  be  a  delight  to 
obey.  But  tell  me,  what  is  wrong  in  this  great  town  ? 
There  is  a  sinister  feeling  in  the  air  ;  uneasiness  is 
abroad,  or  I  am  no  judge  of  my  fellow-creatures." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  you  have  most  accurately  de- 
scribed the  situation.  No  man  knows  what  is  about 
to  happen.  The  gathering  of  the  Electors  is  regarded 
with  the  gravest  apprehension.  The  Archbishop  of 
Mayence,  who  but  a  short  time  since  crowned  the 
Emperor  at  the  great  altar  of  the  cathedral,  is  here  with 
a  thousand  men  at  his  back.  The  Count  Palatine  of 
the  Rhine  is  also  within  these  walls  with  a  lesser  en- 
tourage. It  is  rumoured  that  his  haughty  lordship,  the 
Archbishop  of  Treves,  will  reach  Frankfort  to-morrow, 
to  be  speedily  followed  by  that  eminent  Prince  of  the 
Church,  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne.  Thus  there  will 
be  gathered  in  the  capital  four  Electors,  a  majority  of 
the  college,  a  conjunction  that  has  not  occurred  for 
centuries,  except  on  the  death  of  an  emperor,  neces- 
sitating the  nomination  and  election  of  his  successor." 

"  But  as  the  Emperor  lives  and  there  is  no  need  of 
choosing  another,  wherein  lies  the  danger  ?  " 

"  The  danger  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  college  has 
the  power  to  depose  as  well  as  to  elect." 

"  Ah  !     And  do  the  Electors  threaten  to  depose  ?  " 


76  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  No.  Treves  is  much  too  crafty  for  any  straight- 
forward statement  of  policy.  He  is  the  brains  of  the 
combination,  and  has  put  forward  Mayence  and  the 
Count  Palatine  as  the  moving  spirits,  although  it  is 
well  known  that  the  former  is  but  his  tool  and  the  lat- 
ter is  moved  by  ambition  to  have  his  imbecile  son 
selected  emperor." 

"  Even  if  the  worst  befall,  it  seems  but  the  substitu- 
tion of  a  weak-minded  man  for  one  who  neglects  the 
affairs  of  state,  although  I  should  think  the  princes .  of 
the  Church  would  prefer  a  monarch  who  is  so  much 
under  the  influence  of  the  monks." 

"  The  trouble  is  deeper  than  my  imperfect  sketch  of 
the  situation  would  lead  you  to  suppose,  my  Lord. 
The  Emperor  periodically  emerges  from  his  retirement, 
promulgates  some  startling  decree,  unheeding  the 
counsel  of  any  adviser,  then  disappears  again,  no  man 
knowing  what  is  coming  next.  Of  such  a  nature  was 
his  recent  edict  prohibiting  the  harrying  of  merchants 
going  down  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle,  which,  how- 
ever just  in  theory,  is  impracticable,  for  how  are  the 
nobles  to  reap  revenue  if  such  practices  are  made  un- 
lawful ?  This  edict  has  offended  all  the  magnates  of 
both  rivers,  and  the  archbishops,  with  the  Count 
Palatine,  claim  that  their  prerogatives  have  been  in- 
fringed, so  they  come  to  Frankfort  ostensibly  to  pro- 
test, while  the  Emperor  in  his  cloister  refuses  to  meet 
them.  The  other  three  Electors  hold  aloof,  as  the 
edict  touches  them  not,  but  they  form  a  minority 
which  is  powerless,  even  if  friendly  to  the  Emperor. 
Meanwhile  his  majesty  cannot  be  aroused  to  an  ap- 
preciation of  the  crisis,  but  says  calmly  that  if  it  is 
the  Lord's  will  he  remain  emperor,  emperor  he  will 
remain." 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  77 

"Then  at  its  limit,  chamberlain,  all  we  have  to  ex- 
pect is  a  peaceful  deposition  and  election  ?  " 

"  Not  so,  my  lord.  The  merchants  of  Frankfort  arc 
fervently  loyal  to  the  Emperor,  who,  they  say,  is  the 
first  monarch  to  give  forth  a  just  law  for  their  protec- 
tion. At  present  the  subtlety  of  Treves  has  nullified 
all  combined  action  on  their  part,  for  he  has  given 
out  that  he  comes  merely  to  petition  his  over-lord, 
which  privilege  is  well  within  his  right,  and  matiy 
citizens  actually  believe  him,  but  others  see  that  a 
majority  of  the  college  will  be  within  these  walls  before 
many  days  are  past,  and  that  the  present  Emperor  may 
be  legally  deposed  and  another  legally  chosen.  Then 
if  the  citizens  object,  they  are  rebels,  while  at  this 
moment  if  they  fight  for  the  Emperor  they  are  patriots  ; 
so  you  see  the  position  is  not  without  its  perplexities, 
for  the  citizens  well  know  that  if  they  were  to  man  the 
walls  and  keep  out  Treves  and  Cologne,  the  Emperor 
himself  would  most  likely  disclaim  their  interference, 
trusting  as  he  does  so  entirely  in  Providence  that  a 
short  time  since  he  actually  disbanded  the  imperial 
troops,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  archbishops,  who 
warmly  commended  his  action.  And  now,  my  Lord,  if 
I  may  venture  to  tender  advice  unasked,  I  would 
strongly  counsel  you  to  quit  Frankfort  as  soon  as  your 
business  here  is  concluded,  for  I  am  certain  that  a 
change  of  government  is  intended.  All  will  be  done 
promptly,  and  the  transaction  will  be  consummated 
before  the  people  are  aware  that  such  a  step  is  about 
to  be  taken.  The  Electors  will  meet  in  the  Wahlzim- 
mer  or  election  room  of  the  Romer  and  depose  the 
Emperor,  then  they  will  instantly  select  his  successor, 
adjourn  to  the  Wahlkapelle  and  elect  him.  The 
Palatine's  son  is  here  with  his  father,  and  will  be 


78  THE  STRONG  ARM 

crowned  at  the  high  altar  by  the  Archbishop  of  May- 
ence.  The  new  Emperor  will  dine  with  the  Electors  in 
the  Kaisersaal  and  immediately  after  show  himself  on 
the  balcony  to  the  people  assembled  in  the  Romerberg 
below.  Proclamation  of  his  election  will  then  be  made, 
and  all  this  need  not  occupy  more  than  two  hours. 
The  Archbishop  of  Mayence  already  controls  the  city 
gates,  which  since  the  disbanding  of  the  imperial  troops 
have  been  unguarded,  and  none  can  get  in  or  out  of 
the  city  without  that  potentate's  permission.  The 
men  of  Mayence  are  quartered  in  the  centre  of  the 
town,  the  Count  Palatine's  troops  are  near  the  gate. 
Treves  and  Cologne  will  doubtless  command  other 
positions,  and  thus  between  them  they  will  control  the 
city.  Numerous  as  the  merchants  and  their  depend- 
ents are,  they  will  have  no  chance  against  the  disci- 
plined force  of  the  Electors,  and  the  streets  of  Frank- 
fort are  like  to  run  with  blood,  for  the  nobles  are  but 
too  eager  to  see  a  sharp  check  given  to  the  rising  pre- 
tensions of  the  mercantile  classed,  who  having  hereto- 
fore led  peaceful  lives,  will  come  out  badly  in  combat, 
despite  their  numbers;  therefore  I  beg  of  you,  my 
Lord,  to  withdraw  with  her  Ladyship  before  this  hell's 
caldron  is  uncovered." 

"  Your  advice  is  good,  chamberlain,  in  so  far  as  it 
concerns  my  wife,  and  I  will  beg  of  her  to  retire  to 
Schonburg,  although  I  doubt  if  she  will  obey,  but,  by 
the  bones  of  Saint  Werner  which  floated  against  the 
current  of  the  Rhine  in  this  direction,  if  there  must  be 
a  fray,  I  will  be  in  the  thick  of  it." 

"  Remember,  my  Lord,  that  your  house  has  always 
stood  by  the  Archbishop  of  Mayence." 

"  It  has  stood  by  the  Emperor  as  well,  chamber- 
lain." 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  79 

The  Lady  Elsa  was  amazed  by  the  magnificence  of 
the  Emperor's  court,  when,  accompanied  by  her  hus- 
band, she  walked  the  length  of  the  great  room  to 
make  obeisance  before  the  throne.  At  first  entrance 
she  shrank  timidly,  closer  to  the  side  of  Wilhelm, 
trembling  at  the  ordeal  of  passing,  simply  costumed 
as  she  now  felt  herself  to  be,  between  two  assemblages 
of  haughty  knights  and  high-born  dames,  resplendent 
in  dress,  with  the  proud  bearing  that  pertained  to  their 
position  in  the  Empire.  Her  breath  came  and  went 
quickly,  and  she  feared  that  all  courage  would  desert 
her  before  she  traversed  the  seemingly  endless  lane, 
flanked  by  the  nobility  of  Germany,  which  led  to  the 
royal  presence.  Wilhelm,  unabashed,  holding  himself 
the  equal  of  any  there,  was  not  to  be  cowed  by  pa- 
tronising glance,  or  scornful  gaze.  The  thought  flashed 
through  his  mind  : 

"  How  can  the  throne  fall,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  so 
many  supporters  ?  " 

But  when  the  approaching  two  saw  the  Empress,  all 
remembrance  of  others  faded  from  their  minds.  Brun- 
hilda  was  a  woman  of  superb  stature.  She  stood  alone 
upon  the  dais  which  supported  the  vacant  throne,  one 
hand  resting  upon  its  carven  arm.  A  cloak  of  imperial 
ermine  fell  gracefully  from  her  shapely  shoulders  and 
her  slightly-elevated  position  on  the  platform  added 
height  to  her  goddess-like  tallness,  giving  her  the  ap- 
pearance of  towering  above  every  other  person  in  the 
room,  man  or  woman.  The  excessive  pallor  of  her 
complexion  was  emphasised  by  the  raven  blackness  of 
her  wealth  of  hair,  and  the  sombre  midnight  of  her 
eyes  ;  eyes  with  slumbering  fire  in  them,  qualified  by 
a  haunted  look  which  veiled  their  burning  intensity. 
Her  brow  was  too  broad  and  her  chin  too  firm  for  a 


8o  THE  STRONG  ARM 

painter's  ideal  of  beauty ;  her  commanding  presence 
giving  the  effect  of  majesty  rather  than  of  loveliness. 
Deep  lines  of  care  marred  the  marble  of  her  forehead, 
and  Wilhelm  said  to  himself  : 

"  Here  is  a  woman  going  to  her  doom  ;  knowing 
it  ;  yet  determined  to  show  no  sign  of  fear  and  utter 
no  cry  for  mercy." 

Every  other  woman  there  had  eyes  of  varying  shades 
of  blue  and  gray,  and  hair  ranging  from  brown  to 
golden  yellow  ;  thus  the  Empress  stood  before  them 
like  a  creature  from  another  world. 

Elsa  was  about  to  sink  in  lowly  courtesy  before  the 
queenly  woman  when  the  Empress  came  forward  im- 
petuously and  kissed  the  girl  on  either  cheek,  taking 
her  by  the  hand. 

"  Oh,  wild  bird  of  the  forest,"  she  cried,  "why  have 
you  left  the  pure  air  of  the  woods,  to  beat  your  inno- 
cent wings  in  this  atmosphere  of  deceit !  And  you, 
my  young  Lord,  what  brings  you  to  Frankfort  in  these 
troublous  times  ?  Have  you  an  insufficiency  of  lands 
or  of  honours  that  you  come  to  ask  augmentation  of 
either?" 

"  I  come  to  ask  nothing  for  myself,  your  Majesty." 

"  But  to  ask,  nevertheless,"  said  Brunhilda,  with  a 
frown. 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty." 

"  I  hope  I  may  live  to  see  one  man,  like  a  knight  of 
old,  approach  the  foot  of  the  throne  without  a  request 
on  his  lips.  I  thought  you  might  prove  an  exception, 
but  as  it  is  not  so,  propound  your  question  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  ask  if  my  sword,  supplemented  by  the 
weapons  of  five  hundred  followers,  can  be  of  service 
to  your  Majesty." 

The  Empress  seemed  taken  aback  by  the  young  man's 


A  CITY  OF  FEAR  81 

unexpected  reply,  and  for  some  moments  she  gazed  at 
him  searchingly  in  silence. 

At  last  she  said  : 

"Your  followers  are  the  men  of  Schonburg  and 
Gudenfels,  doubtless?" 

"  No,  your  Majesty.  Those  you  mention,  acknowl- 
edge my  father  as  their  leader.  My  men  were  known 
as  the  Outlaws  of  the  Hundsruck,  who  have  deposed 
von  Weithoff,  chosen  me  as  their  chief,  and  now  de- 
sire to  lead  honest  lives." 

The  dark  eyes  of  the  Empress  blazed  again. 

"  I  see,  my  Lord,  that  you  have  quickly  learned  the 
courtier's  language.  Under  proffer  of  service  you  are 
really  demanding  pardon  for  a  band  of  marauders." 

Wilhelm  met  unflinchingly  the  angry  look  of  this 
imperious  woman,  and  was  so  little  a  courtier  that  he 
allowed  a  frown  to  add  sternness  to  his  brow. 

"  Your  Majesty  puts  it  harshly,"  he  said,  "  I  merely 
petition  for  a  stroke  of  the  pen  which  will  add  half  a 
thousand  loyal  men  to  the  ranks  of  the  Emperor's  sup- 
porters." 

Brunhilda  pondered  on  this,  then  suddenly  seemed 
to  arrive  at  a  decision.  Calling  one  of  the  ministers 
of  state  to  her  side,  she  said,  peremptorily : 

"  Prepare  a  pardon  for  the  Outlaws  of  the  Hunds- 
ruck. Send  the  document  at  once  to  the  Emperor  for 
signature,  and  then  bring  it  to  me  in  the  Red  Room." 

The  minister  replied  with  some  hesitation  : 

"  I  should  have  each  man's  name  to  inscribe  on  the 
roll,  otherwise  every  scoundrel  in  the  Empire  will  claim 
protection  under  the  edict." 

"  I  can  give  you  every  man's  name,"  put  in  Wilhelm, 
eagerly. 

"  It  is  not  necessary,"  said  the  Empress. 


82  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Your  Majesty  perhaps  forgets,"  persisted  the 
minister,  "  that  pardon  has  already  been  proffered  by 
the  Emperor  under  certain  conditions  that  commended 
themselves  to  his  imperial  wisdom,  and  that  the  clem- 
ency so  graciously  tendered  was  contemptuously  re- 
fused." 

At  this  veiled  opposition  all  the  suspicion  in  Brun- 
hilda's  nature  turned  from  Wilhelm  to  the  high  official, 
and  she  spoke  to  him  in  the  tones  of  one  accustomed 
to  prompt  obedience. 

"  Prepare  an  unconditional  pardon,  and  send  it  im- 
mediately to  the  Emperor  without  further  comment, 
either  to  him  or  to  me." 

The  minister  bowed  low  and  retired.  The  Empress 
dismissed  the  court,  detaining  Elsa,  and  said  to  Wei- 
helm  : 

"  Seek  us  half  an  hour  later  in  the  Red  Room. 
Your  wife  I  shall  take  with  me,  that  I  may  learn  from 
her  own  lips  the  adventures  which  led  to  your  recog- 
nition as  the  heir  of  Schonburg,  something  of  which  I 
have  already  heard.  And  as  for  your  outlaws,  send 
them  word  if  you  think  they  are  impatient  to  lead 
virtuous  lives,  which  I  take  leave  to  doubt,  that  be- 
fore another  day  passes  they  need  fear  no  penalty  for 
past  misdeed,  providing  their  future  conduct  escapes 
censure." 

"  They  are  one  and  all  eager  to  retrieve  themselves 
in  your  Majesty's  eyes  !  " 

"  Promise  not  too  much,  my  young  Lord,  for  they 
may  be  called  upon  to  perform  sooner  than  they  expect," 
said  Brunhilda,  with  a  significant  glance  at  Wilhelm. 

The  young  man  left  the  imperial  presence,  overjoyed 
to  know  that  his  mission  had  been  successful. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  PERIL  OF  THE   EMPEROR 

WlLHELM  awaited  with  impatience  the  passing  of 
the  half  hour  the  Empress  had  fixed  as  the  period  of 
his  probation,  for  he  was  anxious  to  have  the  signed 
pardon  for  the  outlaws  actually  in  his  hand,  fearing 
the  intrigues  of  the  court  might  at  the  last  moment 
bring  about  its  withdrawal. 

When  the  time  had  elapsed  he  presented  himself  at 
the  door  of  the  Red  Room  and  was  admitted  by  the 
guard.  He  found  the  Empress  alone,  and  she  advanced 
toward  him  with  a  smile  on  her  face,  which  banished 
the  former  hardness  of  expression. 

"  Forgive  me,"  she  said,  "  my  seeming  discourtesy 
in  the  Great  Hall.  I  am  surrounded  by  spies,  and 
doubtless  Mayence  already  knows  that  your  outlaws 
have  been  pardoned,  but  that  will  merely  make  him 
more  easy  about  the  safety  of  his  cathedral  town,  es- 
pecially as  he  holds  Baron  von  Weithoff  their  former 
leader.  I  was  anxious  that  it  should  also  be  reported 
to  him  that  I  had  received  you  somewhat  ungraciously. 
Your  wife  is  to  take  up  her  abode  in  the  palace,  as  she 
refuses  to  leave  Frankfort  if  you  remain  here.  She 
tells  me  the  outlaws  are  brave  men." 

"  The  bravest  in  the  world,  your  Majesty." 

"  And  that  they  will  follow  you  unquestioningly." 

"  They  would  follow  me  to  the  gates  of "     He 

paused,  and  added  as  if  in  afterthought — "  to  the  gates 
of  Heaven." 

83 


84  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  lady  smiled  again. 

"  From  what  I  have  heard  of  them,"  she  said,  "  I 
feared  their  route  lay  in  another  direction,  but  I  have 
need  of  reckless  men,  and  although  I  hand  you  theif 
pardon  freely,  it  is  not  without  a  hope  that  they  will 
see  fit  to  earn  it." 

"  Strong  bodies  and  loyal  souls,  we  belong  to  your 
Majesty.  Command  and  we  will  obey,  while  life  is 
left  us." 

"  Do  you  know  the  present  situation  of  the  Imperial 
Crown,  my  Lord?  " 

"  I  understand  it  is  in  jeopardy  through  the  act  of 
the  Electors,  who,  it  is  thought,  will  depose  the  Em- 
peror and  elect  a  tool  of  their  own.  I  am  also  aware 
that  the  Imperial  troops  have  been  disbanded,  and  that 
there  will  be  four  thousand  armed  and  trained  men 
belonging  to  the  Electors  within  the  walls  of  Frank- 
fort before  many  days  are  past." 

"  Yes.  What  can  five  hundred  do  against  four  thou- 
sand?" 

"  We  could  capture  the  gates  and  prevent  the  entry 
of  Treves  and  Cologne." 

"  I  doubt  that,  for  there  are  already  two  thousand 
troops  obeying  Mayence  and  the  Count  Palatine  now 
in  Frankfort.  I  fear  we  must  meet  strength  by  craft. 
The  first  step  is  to  get  your  five  hundred  secretly  into 
this  city.  The  empty  barracks  stand  against  the  city 
wall ;  if  you  quartered  your  score  of  Schonburg  men 
there,  they  could  easily  assist  your  five  hundred  to 
scale  the  wall  at  night,  and  thus  your  force  would  be 
at  hand  concealed  in  the  barracks  without  knowledge 
of  the  archbishops.  Treves  and  his  men  will  be  here 
to-morrow,  before  it  would  be  possible  for  you  to  cap- 
ture the  gates,  even  if  such  a  design  were  practicable. 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR         85 

I  am  anxious  above  all  things  to  avoid  bloodshed,  and 
any  plan  you  have  to  propose  must  be  drafted  with 
that  end  in  view." 

"  I  will  ride  to  the  place  where  my  outlaws  are  en- 
camped on  the  Rhine,  having  first  quartered  the  Schon-' 
burg  men  in  the  barracks  with  instructions  regarding 
our  reception.  If  the  tales  which  the  spies  tell  the 
Archbishop  of  Mayence  concerning  my  arrival  and  re- 
ception at  court  lead  his  lordship  to  distrust  me,  he 
will  command  the  guards  at  the  gate  not  to  re-admit 
me.  By  to-morrow  morning,  or  the  morning  after  at 
latest,  I  expect  to  occupy  the  barracks  with  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty  men,  making  arrangement  meanwhile 
for  the  quiet  provisioning  of  the  place.  When  I  have 
consulted  Gottlieb,  who  is  as  crafty  as  Satan  himself, 
I  shall  have  a  plan  to  lay  before  your  Majesty." 

Wilhelm  took  leave  of  the  Empress,  gave  the  neces- 
sary directions  to  the  men  he  left  behind  him,  and 
rode  through  the  western  gate  unmolested  and  unques- 
tioned. The  outlaws  hailed  him  that  evening  with 
acclamations  that  re-echoed  from  the  hills  which  sur- 
rounded them,  and  their  cheers  redoubled  when  Wil- 
helm presented  them  with  the  parchment  which  made 
them  once  more  free  citizens  of  the  Empire.  That 
night  they  marched  in  five  companies,  each  containing 
a  hundred  men,  and  the  cat's  task  of  climbing  the 
walls  of  Frankfort  in  the  darkness  before  the  dawn, 
merely  gave  a  pleasant  fillip  to  the  long  tramp.  Day- 
light found  them  sound  asleep,  sprawling  on  the  floors 
of  the  huge  barracks. 

When  Wilhelm  explained  the  situation  to  Gottlieb 
the  latter  made  light  of  the  difficulty,  as  his  master 
expected  he  would. 

"  'Tis   the   easiest    thing   in    the   world,"    he    said. 


86  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  There  are  the  Mayence  men  quartered  in  the  Lein- 
wandhaus.  The  men  of  Treves  are  here,  let  us  say, 
and  the  men  of  Cologne  there.  Very  well,  we  divide 
our  company  into  four  parties,  as  there  is  also  the 
Count  Palatine  to  reckon  with.  We  tie  ropes  round 
the  houses  containing  these  sleeping  men,  set  fire  to 
the  buildings  all  at  the  same  time,  and,  pouf !  burn  the 
vermin  where  they  lie.  The  hanging  of  the  four  Elec- 
tors after,  will  be  merely  a  job  for  a  dozen  of  our  men, 
and  need  not  occupy  longer  than  while  one  counts  five 
score." 

Wilhelm  laughed. 

"  Your  plan  has  the  merit  of  simplicity,  Gottlieb,  but 
it  does  not  fall  in  with  the  scheme  of  the  Empress,  who 
is  anxious  that  everything  be  accomplished  legally  and 
without  bloodshed.  But  if  we  can  burn  them,  we  can 
capture  them,  imprisonment  being  probably  more  to 
the  taste  of  the  vermin,  as  you  call  them,  than  crema- 
tion, and  equally  satisfactory  to  us.  Frankfort  prison 
is  empty,  the  Emperor  having  recently  liberated  all 
within  it.  The  place  will  amply  accommodate  four 
thousand  men.  Treves  has  arrived  to-day  with  much 
pomp,  and  Cologne  will  be  here  to-morrow.  To-mor- 
row night  the  Electors  hold  their  first  meeting  in  the 
election  chamber  of  the  Romer.  While  they  are  de- 
liberating, do  you  think  you  and  your  five  hundred 
could  lay  four  thousand  men  by  the  heels  and  leave 
each  bound  and  gagged  in  the  city  prison  with  good 
strong  bolts  shot  in  on  them? " 

"  Look  on  it  as  already  done,  my  Lord.  It  is  a  task 
that  requires  speed,  stealth  and  silence,  rattier  than 
strength.  The  main  point  is  to  see  that  no  alarm  is 
prematurely  given,  and  that  no  fugitive  from  one  com- 
pany escape  to  give  warning  to  the  others.  We  fall 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR          87 

upon  sleeping  men,  and  if  some  haste  is  used,  all  are 
tied  and  gagged  before  they  are  full  awake." 

"  Very  well.  Make  what  preparations  are  necessary, 
as  this  venture  may  be  wrecked  through  lack  of  a  cord 
or  a  gag,  so  see  that  you  have  everything  at  hand,  for 
we  cannot  afford  to  lose  a  single  trick.  The  stake,  if 
we  fail,  is  our  heads." 

Wilhelm  sought  the  Empress  to  let  her  know  that  he 
had  got  his  men  safely  housed  in  Frankfort,  and  also 
to  lay  before  her  his  plan  for  depositing  the  Electors' 
followers  in  prison. 

Brunhilda  listened  to  his  enthusiastic  recital  in  silence, 
then  shook  her  head  slowly. 

"  How  can  five  hundred  men  hope  to  pinion  four 
thousand  ?  "  she  asked.  "  It  needs  but  one  to  make 
an  outcry  from  an  upper  window,  and,  such  is  the  state 
of  tension  in  Frankfort  at  the  present  moment  that 
the  whole  city  will  be  about  your  ears  instantly,  thus 
bringing  forth  with  the  rest  the  comrades  of  those  you 
seek  to  imprison." 

"  My  outlaws  are  tigers,  your  Majesty.  The  Elec- 
tors' men  will  welcome  prison,  once  the  Hundsruckers 
are  let  loose  on  them. 

"  Your  outlaws  may  understand  the  ways  of  the 
forest,  but  not  those  of  a  city." 

"  Well,  your  Majesty,  they  have  sacked  Coblentz,  if 
that  is  any  recommendation  for  them." 

The  reply  of  the  Empress  seemed  irrelevant. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  the  hall  in  which  the  Emperors 
are  nominated — or  deposed  ?  "  she  asked. 

"No,  your  Majesty." 

"  Then  follow  me." 

The  lady  led  him  along  a  passage  that  seemed  inter- 
minable, then  down  a  narrow  winding  stair,  through  a 


88 

vaulted  tunnel,  the  dank  air  of  which  struck  so  cold 
and  damp  that  the  young  man  felt  sure  it  was  subter- 
ranean ;  lastly  up  a  second  winding  stair,  at  the  top 
of  which,  pushing  aside  some  hanging  tapestry,  they 
stood  within  the  noble  chamber  known  as  the  Wahl- 
zimmer.  The  red  walls  were  concealed  by  hanging 
tapestry,  the  rich  tunnel  groining  of  the  roof  was  dim 
in  its  lofty  obscurity.  A  long  table  occupied  the 
centre  of  the  room,  with  three  heavily-carved  chairs 
on  either  side,  and  one,  as  ponderous  as  a  throne,  at 
the  head. 

"  There,"  said  the  Empress,  waving  her  hand,  "  sit 
the  seven  Electors  when  a  monarch  of  this  realm  is  to 
be  chosen.  There,  to-morrow  night  will  sit  a  major- 
ity of  the  Electoral  College.  In  honour  of  this  assem- 
blage I  have  caused  these  embroidered  webs  to  be 
hung  round  the  walls,  so  you  see,  I,  too,  have  a  plan. 
Through  this  secret  door  which  the  Electors  know 
nothing  of,  I  propose  to  admit  a  hundred  of  your  men 
to  be  concealed  behind  the  tapestry.  My  plan  differs 
from  yours  in  that  I  determine  to  imprison  four  men, 
while  you  would  attempt  to  capture  four  thousand  ;  I 
consider  therefore  that  my  chances  of  success,  compared 
with  yours,  are  as  a  thousand  to  one.  I  strike  at  the 
head  ;  you  strike  at  the  body.  If  I  paralyse  the  head, 
the  body  is  powerless." 

Wilhelm  knit  his  brows,  looked  around  the  room, 
but  made  no  reply. 

"  Well,"  cried  the  Empress,  impatiently,  "  I  have 
criticised  your  plan  ;  criticise  mine  if  you  find  a  flaw 
in  it." 

"  Is  it  your  Majesty's  intention  to  have  the  men 
take  their  places  behind  the  hangings  before  the  arch- 
bishops assemble  ?  " 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR          89 

"  Assuredly." 

"  Then  you  will  precipitate  a  conflict  before  all  the 
Electors  are  here,  for  it  is  certain  that  the  first  prince 
to  arrive  will  have  the  place  thoroughly  searched  for 
spies.  So  momentous  a  meeting  will  never  be  held 
until  all  fear  of  eavesdroppers  is  allayed." 

"  That  is  true,  Wilhelm,"  said  the  Empress  with  a 
sigh,  "  then  there  is  nothing  left  but  your  project ; 
which  I  fear  will  result  in  a  melee  and  frightful 
slaughter." 

"  I  propose,  your  Majesty,  that  we  combine  the  two 
plans.  We  will  imprison  as  many  as  may  be  of  the 
archbishops'  followers  and  then  by  means  of  the  secret 
stairway  surround  their  lordships." 

"  But  they  will,  in  the  silence  of  the  room,  instantly 
detect  the  incoming  of  your  men." 

"  Not  so,  if  the  panel  which  conceals  the  stair,  work 
smoothly.  My  men  are  like  cats,  and  their  entrance 
and  placement  will  not  cause  the  most  timid  mouse  to 
cease  nibbling." 

"  The  panel  is  silent  enough,  and  it  may  be  that 
your  men  will  reach  their  places  without  betraying 
their  presence  to  the  archbishops,  but  it  would  be  well 
to  instruct  your  leaders  that  in  case  of  discovery  they 
are  to  rush  forward,  without  waiting  for  your  arrival 
or  mine,  hold  the  door  of  the  Wahlzimmer  at  all  haz- 
ards, and  see  that  no  Elector  escapes.  I  am  firm  in 
my  belief  that  once  the  persons  of  the  archbishops  are 
secured,  this  veiled  rebellion  ends,  whether  you  im- 
prison your  four  thousand  or  not,  for  I  swear  by  my 
faith  that  if  their  followers  raise  a  hand  against  me, 
I  will  have  the  archbishops  slain  before  their  eyes, 
even  though  I  go  down  in  disaster  the  moment 
after." 


90  THE  STRONG  ARM 

he  stern  determination  of  the  Empress  would  have 
inspired  a  less  devoted  enthusiast  than  Wilhelm.  He 
placed  his  hand  on  the  hilt  of  his  sword. 

"  There  will  be  no  disaster  to  the  Empress,"  he  said, 
fervently. 

They  retired  Into  the  palace  by  the  way  they  came, 
carefully  closing  the  concealed  panel  behind  them. 

As  Wilhelm  passed  through  the  front  gates  of  the 
Palace  to  seek  Gottlieb  at  the  barracks,  he  pondered 
over  the  situation  and  could  not  conceal  from  himself 
the  fact  that  the  task  he  had  undertaken  was  almost 
impossible  of  accomplishment.  It  was  an  unheard  of 
thing  that  five  hundred  men  should  overcome  eight 
times  their  number  and  that  without  raising  a  disturb- 
ance in  so  closely  packed  a  city  as  Frankfort,  where, 
as  the  Empress  had  said,  the  state  of  tension  was  already 
extreme.  But  although  he  found  that  the  pessimism 
of  the  Empress  regarding  his  project  was  affecting  his 
own  belief  in  it,  he  set  his  teeth  resolutely  and  swore 
that  if  it  failed  it  would  not  be  through  lack  of  taking 
any  precaution  that  occurred  to  him. 

At  the  barracks  he  found  Gottlieb  in  high  feather. 
The  sight  of  his  cheerful,  confident  face  revived  the 
drooping  spirits  of  the  young  man. 

"  Well,  master,"  he  cried,  the  freedom  of  outlawry 
still  in  the  abruptness  of  his  speech,  "  I  have  returned 
from  a  close  inspection  of  the  city." 

"  A  dangerous  excursion,"  said  Wilhelm.  "  I  trust 
no  one  else  left  the  barracks." 

"  Not  another  man,  much  as  they  dislike  being 
housed,  but  it  was  necessary  some  one  should  know 
where  our  enemies  are  placed.  The  Archbishop  of 
Treves,  with  an  assurance  that  might  have  been  ex- 
pected of  him,  has  stalled  his  men  in  the  cathedral,  no 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR          91 

less,  but  a  most  excellent  place  for  our  purposes.  A 
guard  at  each  door,  and  there  you  are." 

"  Ah,  he  has  selected  the  cathedral  not  because  of 
his  assurance,  but  to  intercept  any  communication 
with  the  Emperor,  who  is  in  the  cloisters  attached  to 
it,  and  doubtless  his  lordship  purposes  to  crown  the 
new  emperor  before  daybreak  at  the  high  altar.  The 
design  of  the  archbishop  is  deeper  than  appears  on 
the  surface,  Gottlieb.  His  men  in  the  cathedral  gives 
him  possession  of  the  Wahlkapelle  where  emperors  are 
elected,  after  having  been  nominated  in  the  Wahl- 
zimmer.  His  lordship  has  a  taste  for  doing  things 
legally.  Where  are  the  men  of  Cologne?" 

"  In  a  church  also  ;  the  church  of  St.  Leonhard  on  the 
banks  of  the  Main.  That  is  as  easily  surrounded  and 
is  as  conveniently  situated  as  if  I  had  selected  it  my- 
self. The  Count  Palatine's  men  are  in  a  house  near 
the  northern  gate,  a  house  which  has  no  back  exit,  and 
therefore  calls  but  for  the  closing  of  a  street.  Noth- 
ing could  be  better." 

"  But  the  Drapers'  Hall  which  holds  the  Mayence 
troops,  almost  adjoins  the  cathedral.  Is  there  not  a 
danger  in  this  circumstance  that  a  turmoil  in  the  one 
may  be  heard  in  the  other?" 

"  No,  because  we  have  most  able  allies." 

"  What  ?  the  townsmen  ?  You  have  surely  taken 
none  into  your  confidence,  Gottlieb  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  my  Lord.  Our  good  copartners  are  none 
other  than  the  archbishops  themselves.  It  is  evident 
they  expect  trouble  to-morrow,  but  none  to-night. 
Orders  have  been  given  that  all  their  followers  are  to 
get  a  good  night's  rest,  each  man  to  be  housed  and  asleep 
by  sunset.  The  men  of  both  Treves  and  Cologne  are 
tired  with  their  long  and  hurried  march  and  will  sleep 


92  THE  STRONG  ARM 

like  the  dead.  We  will  first  attack  the  men  of  Ma- 
yence,  surrounding  the  Leinwandhaus,  and  I  warrant 
you  that  no  matter  what  noise  there  is,  the  Treves 
people  will  not  hear.  Then  being  on  the  spot,  we  will, 
when  the  Mayence  soldiers  are  well  bound,  tie  up  those 
in  the  cathedral.  I  purpose  if  your  lordship  agrees,  to 
leave  our  bound  captives  where  they  are,  guarded  by 
a  sufficient  number  of  outlaws,  in  case  one  attempts 
to  help  the  other,  until  we  have  pinioned  those  of  Co- 
logne and  the  Count  Palatine.  When  this  is  off  our 
minds  we  can  transport  all  our  prisoners  to  the  fortress 
at  our  leisure." 

Thus  it  was  arranged,  and  when  night  fell  on  the 
meeting  of  the  Electors,  so  well  did  Gottlieb  and  his 
men  apply  themselves  to  the  task  that  before  an  hour 
had  passed  the  minions  of  the  Electors  lay  packed  in 
heaps  in  the  aisles  and  the  rooms  where  they  lodged, 
to  be  transported  to  the  prison  at  the  convenience  of 
their  captors. 

Many  conditions  favoured  the  success  of  the  seem- 
ingly impossible  feat.  Since  the  arrival  of  the  soldiery 
there  had  been  so  many  night  brawls  in  the  streets 
that  one  more  or  less  attracted  little  attention,  either 
from  the  military  or  from  the  civilians.  The  very  bold- 
ness and  magnitude  of  the  scheme  was  an  assistance 
to  it.  Then  the  stern  cry  of  "In  the  name  of  the  Em- 
peror !  "  with  which  the  assaulters  once  inside  cathe- 
dral, church  or  house,  fell  upon  their  victims,  deadened 
opposition,  for  the  common  soldiers,  whether  enlisted 
by  Treves,  Cologne,  or  Mayence,  knew  that  the  Em- 
peror was  over  all,  and  they  had  no  inkling  of  the  de- 
signs of  their  immediate  masters.  Then,  as  Gottlieb 
had  surmised,  the  extreme  fatigue  of  the  followers  of 
Treves  and  Cologne,  after  their  toilsome  march  from 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR         93 

their  respective  cities,  so  overcame  them  that  many 
went  to  sleep  when  being  conveyed  from  church  and 
cathedral  to  prison.  There  was  some  resistance  on 
the  part  of  officers,  speedily  quelled  by  the  victorious 
woodlanders,  but  aside  from  this  there  were  few  heads- 
broken,  and  the  wish  of  the  Empress  for  a  bloodless 
conquest  was  amply  fulfilled. 

Two  hours  after  darkness  set  in,  Gottlieb,  somewhat 
breathless,  saluted  his  master  at  the  steps  of  the  palace 
and  announced  that  the  followers  of  the  archbishops  and 
the  Count  Palatine  were  behind  bars  in  the  Frankfort 
prison,  with  a  strong  guard  over  them  to  discourage 
any  attempt  at  jailbreaking.  When  Wilhelm  led  his 
victorious  soldiery  silently  up  the  narrow  secret  stair, 
pushed  back,  with  much  circumspection  and  caution, 
the  sliding  panel,  listened  for  a  moment  to  the  low 
murmur  of  their  lordships'  voices,  waited  until  each 
of  his  men  had  gone  stealthily  behind  the  tapestry, 
listened  again  and  still  heard  the  drone  of  speech,  he 
returned  as  he  came,  and  accompanied  by  a  guard  of 
two  score,  escorted  the  Empress  to  the  broad  public 
stairway  that  led  up  one  flight  to  the  door  of  the  Wahl- 
zimmer.  The  two  sentinels  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
crossed  their  pikes  to  bar  the  entrance  of  Brunhilda, 
but  they  were  overpowered  and  gagged  so  quickly  and 
silently  that  their  two  comrades  at  the  top  had  no 
suspicion  of  what  was  going  forward  until  they  had 
met  a  similar  fate.  The  guards  at  the  closed  door, 
more  alert,  ran  forward,  only  to  be  carried  away  with 
their  fellow-sentinels.  Wilhelm,  his  sword  drawn, 
pushed  open  the  door  and  cried  in  a  loud  voice : 

"  My  Lords,  I  am  commanded  to  announce  to  you 
that  her  Majesty  the  Empress  honours  you  with  her 
presence." 


94  THE  STRONG  ARM 

It  would  have  been  difficult  at  that  moment  to  find 
four  men  in  all  Germany  more  astonished  than  were 
the  Electors.  They  saw  the  young  man  who  held  open 
the  door,  bow  low,  then  the  stately  lady  so  sonorously 
announced  come  slowly  up  the  hall  and  stand  silently 
before  them.  Wilhelm  closed  the  door  and  set  his 
back  against  it,  his  naked  sword  still  in  his  right  hand. 
Three  of  the  Electors  were  about  to  rise  to  their  feet, 
'but  a  motion  of  the  hand  by  the  old  man  of  Treves, 
who  sat  the  head  of  the  table,  checked  them. 

"  I  have  come,"  said  the  Empress  in  a  low  voice,  but 
distinctly  heard  in  the  stillness  of  the  room,  "  to  learn 
why  you  are  gathered  here  in  Frankfort  and  in  the 
Wahlzimmer,  where  no  meeting  has  taken  place  for 
three  hundred  years,  except  on  the  death  of  an  em- 
peror." 

"  Madame,"  said  the  Elector  of  Treves,  leaning  back 
in  his  chair  and  placing  the  tips  of  his  fingers  together 
before  him,  "  all  present  have  the  right  to  assemble  in 
this  hall  unquestioned,  with  the  exception  of  yourself 
and  the  young  man  whoerroneously  styled  you  Fmpress, 
with  such  unnecessary  flourish,  as  you  entered.  You 
are  the  wife  of  our  present  Emperor,  but  under  the 
Salic  law  no  woman  can  occupy  the  German  throne. 
If  flatterers  have  misled  you  by  bestowing  a  title  to 
which  you  have  no  claim,  and  if  the  awe  inspired  by 
that  spurious  appellation  has  won  your  admission  past 
ignorant  guards  who  should  have  prevented  your  ap- 
proach, I  ask  that  you  will  now  withdraw,  and  permit 
us  to  resume  deliberations  that  should  not  have  been 
interrupted." 

"  What  is  the  nature  of  those  deliberations,  my 
Lord?" 

"  The  question  is  one  improper  for  you  to  ask.     To 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR         95 

answer  it  would  be  to  surrender  our  rights  as  Electors 
of  the  Empire.  It  is  enough  for  you  to  be  assured, 
madame,  that  we  are  lawfully  assembled,  and  that  our 
purposes  are  strictly  legal." 

"  You  rest  strongly  on  the  law,  my  Lord,  so  strongly 
indeed  that  were  I  a  suspicious  person  I  might  sur- 
mise that  your  acts  deserved  strict  scrutiny.  I  will  ap- 
peal to  you,  then,  in  the  name  of  the  law.  Is  it  the  law 
of  this  realm  that  he  who  directly  or  indirectly  conspires 
against  the  peace  and  comfort  of  his  emperor  is  ad- 
judged a  traitor,  his  act  being  punishable  by  death  ?  " 

"  The  law  stands  substantially  as  you  have  cited  it, 
madame,  but  its  bearing  upon  your  presence  in  this 
room  is,  I  confess,  hidden  from  me." 

"  I  shall  endeavour  to  enlighten  you,  my  Lord.  Are 
you  convened  here  to  further  the  peace  and  comfort 
of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor?" 

"  We  devoutly  trust  so,  madame.  His  Majesty  is  so 
eminently  fitted  for  a  cloister,  rather  than  for  domestic 
bliss  or  the  cares  of  state,  that  we  hope  to  pleasure  him 
by  removing  all  barriers  in  his  way  to  a  monastery." 

"  Then  until  his  Majesty  is  deposed  you  are,  by  your 
own  confession,  traitors." 

"  Pardon  me,  madame,  but  the  law  regarding  traitors 
which  you  quoted  with  quite  womanly  inaccuracy,  and 
therefore  pardonable,  does  not  apply  to  eight  persons 
within  this  Empire,  namely,  the  seven  Electors  and 
the  Emperor  himself." 

"  I  have  been  unable  to  detect  the  omission  you 
state,  my  Lord.  There  are  no  exceptions,  as  I  read  the 
law." 

"  The  exceptions  are  implied,  madame,  if  not  ex- 
pressly set  down,  for  it  would  be  absurd  to  clothe  Elec- 
tors with  a  power  in  the  exercise  of  which  they  would 


96  THE  STRONG  ARM 

constitute  themselves  traitors.  But  this  discussion  is 
as  painful  as  it  is  futile,  and  therefore  it  must  cease. 
In  the  name  of  the  Electoral  College  here  in  session 
assembled,  I  ask  you  to  withdraw,  madame." 

"  Before  obeying  your  command,  my  Lord  Arch- 
bishop, there  is  another  point  which  I  wish  to  submit 
to  your  honourable  body,  so  learned  in  the  law.  I  see 
three  vacant  chairs  before  me,  and  I  am  advised  that 
it  is  illegal  to  depose  an  emperor  unless  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  college  are  present  and  unanimous." 

"  Again  you  have  been  misinformed.  A  majority  of 
the  college  elects  ;  a  majority  can  depose,  and  in  re- 
tiring to  private  life,  madame,  you  have  the  consola- 
tion of  knowing  that  your  intervention  prolonged  your 
husband's  term  of  office  by  several  minutes.  For  the 
third  time  I  request  you  to  leave  this  room,  and  if  you 
again  refuse  I  shall  be  reluctantly  compelled  to  place 
you  under  arrest.  Young  man,  open  the  door  and 
allow  this  woman  to  pass  through." 

"I  would  have  you  know,  my  Lord,"  said  Wilhelm, 
"  that  I  am  appointed  commander  of  the  imperial 
forces,  and  that  I  obey  none  but  his  Majesty  the 
Emperor." 

"  I  understood  that  the  Emperor  depended  upon  the 
Heavenly  Hosts,"  said  the  Archbishop,  with  the  sus- 
picion of  a  smile  on  his  grim  lips. 

"  It  does  not  become  a  prince  of  the  Church  to  sneer 
at  Heaven  or  its  power,"  said  the  Empress,  severely. 

"  Nothing  was  further  from  my  intention,  madame, 
but  you  must  excuse  me  if  I  did  not  expect  to  see  the 
Heavenly  Hosts  commanded  by  a  young  man  so  pal- 
pably German.  Still  all  this  is  aside  from  the  point. 
Will  you  retire,  or  must  I  reluctantly  use  force  ?  " 

"  I  advise  your  lordship  not  to  appeal  to  force." 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR         97 

The  old  man  of  Treves  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  an 
ominous  glitter  in  his  eyes.  He  stood  for  some  minutes 
regarding  angrily  the  woman  before  him,  as  if  to  give 
her  time  to  reconsider  her  stubborn  resolve  to  hold  her 
ground.  Then  raising  his  voice  the  Elector  cried  : 

"  Men  of  Treves  !  enter  !  " 

While  one  might  count  ten,  dense  silence  followed 
this  outcry,  the  seated  Electors  for  the  first  time  glanc- 
ing at  their  leader  with  looks  of  apprehension. 

"  Treves  !  Treves !  Treves  !  " 

That  potent  name  reverberated  from  the  lips  of  its 
master,  who  had  never  known  its  magic  to  fail  in  call- 
ing round  him  stout  defenders,  and  who  could  not  yet 
believe  that  its  power  should  desert  him  at  this  junc- 
ture. Again  there  was  no  response. 

"  As  did  the  prophet  of  old,  ye  call  on  false  gods." 

The  low  vibrant  voice  of  the  Empress  swelled  like  the 
tones  of  a  rich  organ  as  the  firm  command  she  had  held 
over  herself  seemed  about  to  depart. 

"  Lord  Wilhelm,  give  them  a  name  that  carries 
authority  in  its  sound." 

Wilhelm  strode  forward  from  the  door,  raised  his 
glittering  sword  high  above  his  head  and  shouted  : 

"  THE  EMPEROR  !     Cheer,  ye  woodland  wolves ! " 

With  a  downward  sweep  of  his  sword,  he  cut  the 
two  silken  cords  which,  tied  to  a  ring  near  the  door, 
held  up  the  tapestry.  The  hangings  fell  instantly  like 
the  drop  curtain  of  a  theatre,  its  rustle  overwhelmed 
in  the  vociferous  yell  that  rang  to  the  echoing  roof. 

"  Forward  !     Close  up  your  ranks  !  " 

With  simultaneous  movement  the  men  stepped  over 
the  folds  on  the  floor  and  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder, 
an  endless  oval   line  of  living  warriors,  surrounding 
the  startled  group  in  the  centre  of  the  great  hall. 
7 


98  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Aloft,  rope-men." 

Four  men,  with  ropes  wound  round  their  bodies,  de- 
tached themselves  from  the  circle,  and  darting  to  the 
four  corners  of  the  room,  climbed  like  squirrels  until 
they  reached  the  tunnelled  roofing,  where,  making  their 
way  to  the  centre  with  a  dexterity  that  was  marvellous, 
they  threw  their  ropes  over  the  timbers  and  came  spin- 
ning down  to  the  floor,  like  gigantic  spiders,  each  sus- 
pended on  his  own  line.  The  four  men,  looped  nooses 
in  hand,  took  up  positions  behind  the  four  Electors, 
all  of  whom  were  now  on  their  feet.  Wilhelm  saluted 
the  Empress,  bringing  the  hilt  of  his  sword  to  his  fore- 
head, and  stepped  back. 

The  lady  spoke : 

"  My  Lords,  learned  in  the  law,  you  will  perhaps 
claim  with  truth  that  there  is  no  precedent  for  hang- 
ing an  Electoral  College,  but  neither  is  there  precedent 
for  deposing  an  Emperor.  It  is  an  interesting  legal 
point  on  which  we  shall  have  definite  opinion  pro- 
nounced in  the  inquiry  which  will  follow  the  death  of 
men  so  distinguished  as  yourselves,  and  if  it  should  be 
held  that  I  have  exceeded  my  righteous  authority  in 
thus  pronouncing  sentence  upon  you  as  traitors,  I  shall 
be  nothing  loath  to  make  ample  apology  to  the  state." 

"  Such  reparation  will  be  small  consolation  to  us, 
your  Majesty,"  said  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  speak- 
ing for  the  first  time.  "  My  preference  is  for  an  ante- 
mortem  rather  than  a  post-mortem  adjustment  of  the 
law.  My  colleague  of  Treves,  in  the  interests  of  a 
better  understanding,  I  ask  you  to  destroy  the  docu- 
ment of  deposition,  which  you  hold  in  your  hand,  and 
which  I  beg  to  assure  her  Majesty,  is  still  unsigned." 

The  trembling  fingers  of  the  Archbishop  of  Treves 
proved  powerless  to  tear  the  tough  parchment,  so  he 


THE  PERIL  OF  THE  EMPEROR         99 

held  it  for  a  moment  until  it  was  consumed  in  the  flame 
of  a  taper  which  stood  on  the  table. 

"  And  now,  your  Majesty,  speaking  entirely  for  my- 
self, I  give  you  my  word  as  a  prince  of  the  Church  amd 
a  gentlemen  of  the  Empire,  that  my  vote  as  an  Elector 
will  always  be  against  the  deposition  of  the  Emperor, 
for  I  am  convinced  that  imperial  power  is  held  in  firm 
and  capable  hands." 

The  great  prelate  of  Cologne  spoke  as  one  making 
graceful  concession  to  a  lady,  entirely  uninfluenced  by 
the  situation  in  which  he  so  unexpectedly  found  him- 
self. A  smile  lit  up  the  face  of  the  Empress  as  she 
returned  his  deferential  bow. 

"  I  accept  your  word  with  pleasure,  my  Lord,  fully 
assured  that,  once  given,  it  will  never  be  tarnished  by 
any  mental  reservation." 

"  I  most  cordially  associate  myself  with  my  brother 
of  Cologne  and  take  the  same  pledge,"  spoke  up  his 
Lordship  of  Mayence. 

The  Count  Palatine  of  the  Rhine  moistened  his  dry 
lips  and  said : 

"  I  was  misled  by  ambition,  your  Majesty,  and  thus 
in  addition  to  giving  you  my  word,  I  crave  your  im- 
perial pardon  as  well." 

The  Archbishop  of  Treves  sat  in  his  chair  like  a  man 
collapsed.  He  had  made  no  movement  since  the  burn- 
ing of  the  parchment.  All  eyes  were  turned  upon  him 
in  the  painful  stillness.  With  visible  effort  he  enun- 
ciated in  deep  voice  the  two  words  :  "  And  I." 

The  face  of  the  Empress  took  on  a  radiance  that  had 
long  been  absent  from  it. 

"  It  seems,  my  Lords,  that  there  has  been  merely  a 
slight  misunderstanding,  which  a  few  quiet  words  and 
some  legal  instruction  has  entirely  dissipated.  To 


ioo  THE  STRONG  ARM 

seal  our  compact,  I  ask  you  all  to  dine  with  me  to- 
morrow night,  when  I  am  sure  it  will  afford  intense 
gratification  to  prelates  so  pious  as  yourselves  to  send 
a  message  to  his  Majesty  the  Emperor,  informing  him 
that  his  trust  in  Providence  has  not  been  misplaced." 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  NEEDLE   DAGGER 

WlLHELM  VON  SCHONBURG,  Commander  of  the  Im- 
perial Forces  at  Frankfort,  applied  himself  to  the  task 
of  building  up  an  army  round  his  nucleus  of  five  hun- 
dred with  all  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of  youth.  He 
first  put  parties  of  trusty  men  at  the  various  city  gates 
so  that  he  might  control,  at  least  in  a  measure,  the 
human  intake  and  output  of  the  city.  The  power 
which  possession  of  the  gates  gave  him  he  knew  to  be 
more  apparent  than  real,  for  Frankfort  was  a  commer- 
cial city,  owing  its  prosperity  to  traffic,  and  any  mate- 
rial interference  with  the  ebb  or  flow  of  travel  had  a 
depressing  influence  on  trade.  If  the  Archbishops 
meant  to  keep  their  words  given  to  the  Empress,  all 
would  be  well,  but  of  their  good  faith  Wilhelm  had  the 
gravest  doubts.  It  would  be  impossible  to  keep  secret 
the  defeat  of  their  Lordships,  when  several  thousands 
of  their  men  lay  immured  in  the  city  prison.  The 
whole  world  would  thus  learn  sooner  or  later  that  the 
great  Princes  of  the  Church  had  come  to  shear  and 
had  departed  shorn  ;  and  this  blow  to  their  pride  was 
one  not  easily  forgiven  by  men  so  haughty  and  so 
powerful  as  the  prelates  of  Treves,  Mayence  and  Co- 
logne. Young  as  he  was,  Wilhelm's  free  life  in  the  for- 
est, among  those  little  accustomed  to  control  the  raw 
passions  of  humanity,  had  made  him  somewhat  a  judge 

of  character,  and  he  had  formed  the  belief  that  the 

101 


102  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Archbishop  of  Cologne  was  a  gentleman,  and  would 
keep  his  word,  that  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  would 
have  no  scruple  in  breaking  his,  while  the  Archbishop 
of  Mayence  would  follow  the  lead  of  Treves.  This 
suspicion  he  imparted  to  the  Empress  Brunhilda,  but 
she  did  not  agree  with  him,  believing  that  all  three, 
with  the  Count  Palatine,  would  hereafter  save  their 
heads  by  attending  strictly  to  their  ecclesiastical  busi- 
ness, leaving  the  rule  of  the  Empire  in  the  hands  which 
now  held  it. 

"  Cologne  will  not  break  the  pledge  he  has  given 
me,"  she  said  ;  "  of  that  I  am  sure.  Mayence  is  too 
great  an  opportunist  to  follow  an  unsuccessful  leader  ; 
and  the  Count  Palatine  is  too  great  a  coward  to  enter 
upon  such  a  dangerous  business  as  the  deposing  of  an 
emperor  who  is  my  husband.  Besides,  I  have  given 
the  Count  Palatine  a  post  at  Court  which  requires  his 
constant  presence  in  Frankfort,  and  so  I  have  him  in 
some  measure  a  prisoner.  The  Electors  are  powerless 
if  even  one  of  their  number  is  a  defaulter,  so  what  can 
Treves  do,  no  matter  how  deeply  his  pride  is  injured, 
or  how  bitterly  he  thirsts  for  revenge  ?  His  only  re- 
source is  boldly  to  raise  the  flag  of  rebellion  and  march 
his  troops  on  Frankfort.  He  is  too  crafty  a  man  to 
take  such  risk  or  to  do  anything  so  open.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  must  set  about  the  collection  of  an  army  se- 
cretly, while  we  may  augment  the  Imperial  troops  in  the 
light  of  day.  So,  unless  he  strikes  speedily,  we  will 
have  a  force  that  will  forever  keep  him  in  awe." 

This  seemed  a  reasonable  view,  but  it  only  partly 
allayed  the  apprehensions  of  Wilhelm.  He  had  caught 
more  than  one  fierce  look  of  hatred  directed  toward 
him  by  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  since  the  meeting 
in  the  Wahlzimmer,  and  the  regard  of  his  Lordship  of 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  103 

Mayence  had  been  anything  but  benign.  These  two 
dignitaries  had  left  Frankfort  together,  their  way  lying 
for  some  distance  in  the  same  direction.  Wilhelm 
liberated  their  officers,  and  thus  the  two  potentates 
had  scant  escort  to  their  respective  cities.  Their  men 
he  refused  to  release,  which  refusal  both  Treves  and 
Mayence  accepted  with  bad  grace,  saying  the  withhold- 
ing cast  an  aspersion  on  their  honour.  This  example 
was  not  followed  by  the  suave  Archbishop  of  Cologne, 
who  departed  some  days  after  his  colleagues.  He 
laughed  when  Wilhelm  informed  him  that  his  troops 
would  remain  in  Frankfort,  and  said  he  would  be  at 
the  less  expense  in  his  journey  down  the  Rhine,  as  his 
men  were  gross  feeders. 

Being  thus  quit  of  the  three  Archbishops,  the  ques- 
tion was  what  to  do  with  their  three  thousand  men. 
It  was  finally  resolved  to  release  them  by  detachments, 
drafting  into  the  Imperial  army  such  as  were  willing 
so  to  serve  and  take  a  special  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
Emperor,  allowing  those  who  declined  to  enlist  to  de- 
part from  the  city  in  whatever  direction  pleased  them, 
so  that  they  went  away  in  small  parties.  It  was  found, 
however,  that  the  men  cared  little  for  whom  they 
fought,  providing  the  pay  was  good  and  reasonably 
well  assured.  Thus  the  Imperial  army  received  many 
recruits  and  the  country  round  Frankfort  few  vagrants. 

The  departed  Archbishops  made  no  sign,  the  Count 
Palatine  seemed  engrossed  with  his  duties  about  the 
Court,  the  army  increased  daily  and  life  went  on  so 
smoothly  that  Wilhelm  began  to  cease  all  questioning 
of  the  future,  coming  at  last  to  believe  that  the  Em- 
press was  right  in  her  estimate  of  the  situation.  H« 
was  in  this  pleasing  state  of  mind  when  an  incident 
occurred  which  would  have  caused  him  greater  anxiety 


104  THE  STRONG  ARM 

than  it  did  had  he  been  better  acquainted  with  the 
governing  forces  of  his  country.  On  arising  one  morn- 
ing he  found  on  the  table  of  his  room  a  parchment, 
held  in  place  by  a  long  thin  dagger  of  peculiar  con- 
struction. His  first  attention  was  given  to  the  weapon 
and  not  to  the  scroll.  The  blade  was  extremely  thin 
and  sharp  at  the  point,  and  seemed  at  first  sight  to  be 
so  exceedingly  frail  as  to  be  of  little  service  in  actual 
combat,  but  a  closer  examination  proved  that  it  was 
practically  unbreakable,  and  of  a  temper  so  fine  that 
nothing  made  an  impression  on  its  keen  edge.  Held 
at  certain  angles,  the  thin  blade  seemed  to  disappear 
altogether  and  leave  the  empty  hilt  in  the  hand.  The 
hilt  had  been  treated  as  if  it  were  a  crucifix,  and  in 
slightly  raised  relief  there  was  a  figure  of  Christ,  His 
outstretched  arms  extending  along  the  transverse  guard. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  handle  were  the  sunken 
letters  "  S.  S.  G.  G." 

Wilhelm  fingered  this  dainty  piece  of  mechanism 
curiously,  wondering  where  it  was  made.  He  guessed 
Milan  as  the  place  of  its  origin,  knowing  enough  of 
cutlery  to  admire  the  skill  and  knowledge  of  metallurgy 
that  had  gone  to  its  construction,  and  convinced  as  he 
laid  it  down  that  it  was  foreign.  He  was  well  aware 
that  no  smith  in  Germany  could  fashion  a  lancet  so 
exquisitely  tempered.  He  then  turned  his  attention 
to  the  document  which  had  been  fastened  to  the  table 
by  this  needle-like  stiletto.  At  the  top  of  the  parch- 
ment were  the  same  letters  that  had  been  cut  in  the 
handle  of  the  dagger. 

5.  S.   G.  G. 

First  warning.  Wear  this  dagger  thrust  into  your 
doublet  over  the  heart,  and  follow  him  who  accosts  you, 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  105 

fearing  nothing    if  your  heart  be  true  and  loyal.     In 
strict  silence  safety  lies. 

Wilhelm  laughed. 

"  It  is  some  lover's  nonsense  of  Elsa's,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  '  If  your  heart  be  true  and  loyal,'  that  is  a 
woman's  phrase  and  nothing  else." 

Calling  his  wife,  he  held  out  the  weapon  to  her  and 
said  : 

"  Where  did  you  get  this,  Elsa  ?  I  would  be  glad 
to  know  who  your  armourer  is,  for  I  should  dearly  love 
to  provide  my  men  with  weapons  of  such  temper." 

Elsa  looked  alternately  at  the  dagger  and  at  her 
husband,  bewildered. 

"  I  never  saw  it  before,  nor  anything  like  it,"  she 
replied.  "  Where  did  you  find  it?  It  is  so  frail  it 
must  be  for  ornament  merely." 

"  Its  frailness  is  deceptive.  It  is  a  most  wonderful 
instrument,  and  I  should  like  to  know  where  it  comes 
from.  I  thought  you  had  bought  it  from  some  armourer 
and  intended  me  to  wear  it  as  a  badge  of  my  office. 
Perhaps  it  was  sent  by  the  Empress.  The  word  '  loy- 
alty '  seems  to  indicate  that,  though  how  it  got 
into  this  room  and  on  this  table  unknown  to  me  is  a 
mystery." 

Elsa  shook  her  head  as  she  studied  the  weapon  and 
the  message  critically. 

"  Her  Majesty  is  more  direct  than  this  would  indi- 
cate. If  she  had  aught  to  say  to  you  she  would  say 
it  without  ambiguity.  Do  you  intend  to  wear  the 
dagger  as  the  scroll  commands  ?  " 

"  If  I  thought  it  came  from  the  Empress  I  should, 
not  otherwise." 

"  You  may  be  assured  some  one  else  has  sent  it. 


106  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Perhaps  it  is  intended  for  me,"  and  saying  this  Elsa 
thrust  the  blade  of  the  dagger  through  the  thick  coil 
of  her  hair  and  turned  coquettishly  so  that  her  husband 
might  judge  of  the  effect. 

"  Are  you  ambitious  to  set  a  new  fashion  to  the 
Court,  Elsa?"  asked  Wilhelm,  smiling. 

"  No  ;  I  shall  not  wear  it  in  public,  but  I  will  keep 
the  dagger  if  I  may." 

Thus  the  incident  passed,  and  Wilhelm  gave  no  more 
thought  to  the  mysterious  warning.  His  duties  left 
him  little  time  for  meditation  during  the  day,  but  as  he 
returned  at  night  from  the  barracks  his  mind  reverted 
once  more  to  the  dagger,  and  he  wondered  how  it  came 
without  his  knowledge  into  his  private  room.  His 
latent  suspicion  of  the  Archbishops  became  aroused 
again,  and  he  pondered  on  the  possibility  of  an  emissary 
of  theirs  placing  the  document  on  his  table.  He  had 
given  strict  instructions  that  if  any  one  supposed  to  be 
an  agent  of  their  lordships  presented  himself  at  the 
gates  he  was  to  be  permitted  to  enter  the  city  without 
hindrance,  but  instant  knowledge  of  such  advent  was  to 
be  sent  to  the  Commander,  which  reminded  him  that  he 
had  not  seen  Gottlieb  that  day,  this  able  lieutenant  hav- 
ing general  charge  of  all  the  ports.  So  he  resolved  to 
return  to  the  barracks  and  question  his  underling  regard- 
ing the  recent  admittances.  Acting  instantly  on  this 
determination,  he  turned  quickly  and  saw  before  him  a 
man  whom  he  thought  he  recognised  by  his  outline  in 
the  darkness  as  von  Brent,  one  of  the  officers  of  Treves 
whom  he  had  released,  and  who  had  accompanied  the 
Archbishop  on  his  return  to  that  city.  The  figure,  how- 
ever, gave  him  no  time  for  a  closer  inspection,  and,  al- 
though evidently  taken  by  surprise,  reversed  his  direc- 
tion, making  off  with  speed  down  the  street.  Wilhelm, 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  107 

plucking  sword  from  scabbard,  pursued  no  less  fleetly. 
The  scanty  lighting  of  the  city  thoroughfares  gave 
advantage  to  the  fugitive,  but  Wilhelm's  knowledge  of 
the  town  was  now  astonishingly  intimate,  considering 
the  short  time  he  had  been  a  resident,  and  his  wood- 
lore,  applied  to  the  maze  of  tortuous  narrow  alleys 
made  him  a  hunter  not  easily  baffled.  He  saw  the 
flutter  of  a  cloak  as  its  wearer  turned  down  a  narrow 
lane,  and  a  rapid  mental  picture  of  the  labyrinth 
illuminating  his  mind,  Wilhelm  took  a  dozen  long 
strides  to  a  corner  and  there  stood  waiting.  A  few 
moments  later  a  panting  man  with  cloak  streaming  be- 
hind him  came  near  to  transfixing  himself  on  the  point 
of  the  Commander's  sword.  The  runner  pulled  himself 
up  with  a  gasp  and  stood  breathless  and  speechless. 

"  I  tender  you  good-evening,  sir,"  said  Wilhelm, 
civilly,  "  and  were  I  not  sure  of  your  friendliness,  I 
should  take  it  that  you  were  trying  to  avoid  giving  me 
salutation." 

"  I  did  not  recognise  you,  my  Lord,  in  the  darkness." 

The  man  breathed  heavily,  which  might  have  been 
accounted  for  by  his  unaccustomed  exertion. 

"  'Tis  strange,  then,  that  I  should  have  recognised 
you,  turning  unexpectedly  as  I  did,  while  you  seem- 
ingly had  me  in  your  eye  for  some  time  before." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  and  that  I  had  not.  I  but  just 
emerged  from  this  crooked  lane,  and  seeing  you  turn  so 
suddenly,  feared  molestation,  and  so  took  to  my  heels, 
which  a  warrior  should  be  shamed  to  confess,  but  I  had 
no  wish  to  be  embroiled  in  a  street  brawl." 

"  Your  caution  does  you  credit,  and  should  commend 
you  to  so  peacefully-minded  a  master  as  his  Lordship  of 
Treves,  who,  I  sincerely  trust,  arrived  safely  in  his 
ancient  city." 


io8  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  He  did,  my  Lord." 

"  I  am  deeply  gratified  to  hear  it,  and  putting  my 
knowledge  of  his  lordship's  methods  in  conjunction 
with  your  evident  desire  for  secrecy,  I  should  be  loath 
to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  mission  that  brings 
you  to  the  capital  so  soon  after  your  departure  from  it." 

"  Well,  my  Lord,"  said  von  Brent,  with  an  attempt  at 
a  laugh,  "  I  must  admit  that  it  was  my  purpose  to  visit 
Frankfort  with  as  little  publicity  as  possible.  You  are 
mistaken,  however,  in  surmising  that  I  am  entrusted 
with  any  commands  from  my  lord,  the  Archbishop, 
who,  at  this  moment,  is  devoting  himself  with  energy 
to  his  ecclesiastical  duties  and  therefore  has  small  need 
for  a  soldier.  This  being  the  case,  I  sought  and  ob- 
tained leave  of  absence,  and  came  to  Frankfort  on  pri- 
vate affairs  of  my  own.  To  speak  truth,  as  between 
one  young  man  and  another,  not  to  be  further  gossiped 
about,  while,  stationed  here  some  days  ago,  I  became 
acquainted  with  a  girl  whom  I  dearly  wish  to  meet 
again,  and  this  traffic,  as  you  know,  yearns  not  for  either 
bray  of  trumpet  or  rattle  of  drum." 

"  The  gentle  power  of  love,"  said  Wilhelm  in  his 
most  affable  tone,  "  is  a  force  few  of  us  can  resist.  In- 
deed, I  am  myself  not  unacquainted  with  its  strength, 
and  I  must  further  congratulate  you  on  your  celerity  of 
conquest,  for  you  came  to  Frankfort  in  the  morning, 
and  were  my  guest  in  the  fortress  in  the  evening,  so 
you  certainly  made  good  use  of  the  brief  interval.  By 
what  gate  did  you  enter  Frankfort  ?  " 

"  By  the  western  gate,  my  Lord." 

"  This  morning?  " 

"  No,  my  Lord.  I  entered  but  a  short  time  since,  just 
before  the  gates  were  closed  for  the  night." 

"  Ah  !  that  accounts  for  my  hearing  no  report  of  your 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  109 

arrival,  for  it  is  my  wish,  when  distinguished  visitors 
honour  us  with  their  presence,  that  I  may  be  able  to 
offer  them  every  courtesy." 

Von  Brent  laughed,  this  time  with  a  more  genuine 
ring  to  his  mirth. 

"  Seeing  that  your  previous  hospitality  included  lodg- 
ing in  the  city  prison,  my  Lord,  as  you,  a  moment  ago, 
reminded  me,  you  can  scarcely  be  surprised  that  I  had 
no  desire  to  invite  a  repetition  of  such  courtesy,  if  you 
will  pardon  the  frank  speaking  of  a  soldier." 

"  Most  assuredly.  And  to  meet  frankness  with  its 
like,  I  may  add  that  the  city  prison  still  stands  intact. 
But  I  must  no  longer  delay  an  impatient  lover,  and  so, 
as  I  began,  I  give  you  a  very  good  evening,  sir." 

Von  Brent  returned  the  salutation,  bowing  low, 
and  Wilhelm  watched  him  retrace  his  steps  and  dis- 
appear in  the  darkness.  The  Commander,  returning 
his  blade  to  its  scabbard,  sought  Gottlieb  at  the 
barracks. 

"  Do  you  remember  von  Brent,  of  Treves'  staff  ?  " 

"  That  hangdog-looking  officer  ?  Yes,  master.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  knocking  him  down  in  the  Cathedral 
before  pinioning  him." 

"  He  is  in  Frankfort  to-night,  and  said  he  entered  by 
the  western  gate  just  before  it  was  closed." 

"  Then  he  is  a  liar,"  commented  Gottlieb,  with  his 
usual  bluntness. 

"  Such  I  strongly  suspect  him  to  be.  Nevertheless, 
here  he  is,  and  the  question  I  wish  answered  is,  how  did 
he  get  in  ?  " 

"  He  must  have  come  over  the  wall,  which  can  hardly 
be  prevented,  if  an  incomer  has  a  friend  who  will  throw 
him  a  rope." 

It    may  be    prevented    if    the    walls  are   efficiently 


no  THE  STRONG  ARM 

patrolled.  See  instantly  to  that,  Gottlieb,  and  set  none 
but  our  own  woodlanders  on  watch." 

Several  days  passed,  and  Wilhelm  kept  a  sharp  look- 
out for  von  Brent,  or  any  other  of  the  Archbishop's 
men,  but  he  saw  none  such,  nor  could  he  learn  that 
the  lieutenant  had  left  the  city.  He  came  almost  to 
believe  that  the  officer  had  spoken  the  truth,  when  dis- 
trust again  assailed  him  on  finding  in  the  barracks  a 
second  document  almost  identical  with  the  first,  except 
that  it  contained  the  words,  "  Second  warning,"  and 
the  dirk  had  been  driven  half  its  length  into  the  lid  of 
the  desk.  At  first  he  thought  it  was  the  same  parch- 
ment and  dagger,  but  the  different  wording  showed 
him  that  at  least  the  former  was  not  the  same.  He 
called  Gottlieb,  and  demanded  to  know  who  had  been 
allowed  to  pass  the  guards  and  enter  that  room.  The 
honest  warrior  was  dismayed  to  find  such  a  thing  could 
have  happened,  and  although  he  was  unable  to  read  the 
lettering,  he  turned  the  missive  over  and  over  in  his 
hand  as  if  he  expected  close  scrutiny  to  unravel  the 
skein.  He  then  departed  and  questioned  the  guards 
closely,  but  was  assured  that  no  one  had  entered  except 
the  Commander. 

"  I  cannot  fathom  it,"  he  said  on  returning  to  his 
master,  "  and,  to  tell  truth,  I  wish  we  were  well  back 
in  the  forest  again,  for  I  like  not  this  mysterious  city 
and  its  ways.  We  have  kept  this  town  as  close  sealed 
as  a  wine  butt,  yet  I  dare  swear  that  I  have  caught 
glimpses  of  the  Archbishop's  men,  flitting  here  and 
there  like  bats  as  soon  as  darkness  gathers.  I  have 
tried  to  catch  one  or  two  of  them  to  make  sure,  but  I 
seem  to  have  lost  all  speed  of  foot  on  these  slippery 
stones,  and  those  I  follow  disappear  as  if  the  earth 
swallowed  them." 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  in 

"  Have  you  seen  von  Brent  since  I  spoke  to  you 
about  him  ?  " 

"  I  thought  so,  Master  Wilhelm,  but  I  am  like  a  man 
dazed  in  the  mazes  of  an  evil  dream,  who  can  be  certain 
of  nothing.  I  am  afraid  of  no  man  who  will  stand 
boldly  up  to  me,  sword  in  hand,  with  a  fair  light  on 
both  of  us,  but  this  chasing  of  shadows  with  nothing 
for  a  pike  to  pierce  makes  a  coward  of  me." 

"  Well,  the  next  shadow  that  follows  me  will  get  my 
blade  in  its  vitals,  for  I  think  my  foot  is  lighter  than 
yours,  Gottlieb.  There  is  no  shadow  in  this  town  that 
is  not  cast  by  a  substance,  and  that  substance  will  feel 
a  sword  thrust  if  one  can  but  get  within  striking  dis- 
tance. Keep  strict  watch  and  we  will  make  a  dis- 
covery before  long,  never  fear.  Do  you  think  the  men 
we  have  enlisted  from  the  Archbishop's  company 
are  trying  to  play  tricks  with  us?  Are  they  to  be 
trusted  ?  " 

"  Oh,  they  are  stout  rascals  with  not  enough  brains 
among  them  all  to  plan  this  dagger  and  parchment 
business,  giving  little  thought  to  anything  beyond 
eating  and  drinking,  and  having  no  skill  of  lettering." 

"  Then  we  must  look  elsewhere  for  the  explanation. 
It  may  be  that  your  elusive  shadows  will  furnish  a 
clue." 

On  reaching  his  own  house  Wilhelm  said  carelessly 
to  his  wife,  whom  he  did  not  wish  to  alarm  unneces- 
sarily : 

"  Have  you  still  in  your  possession  that  dagger  which 
I  found  on  my  table  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  here.  Have  you  found  an  owner  for  it  or 
learned  how  it  came  there?" 

"  No.     I  merely  wished  to  look  at  it  again." 

She  gave  it  to  him,  and  he  saw  at  once  that  it  was  a, 


112  THE  STRONG  ARM 

duplicate  of  the  one  he  had  hidden  under  his  doublet. 
The  mystery  was  as  far  from  solution  ae  ever,  and  the 
closest  examination  of  the  weapon  gave  no  hint  per- 
taining to  the  purport  of  the  message.  Yet  it  is  probable 
that  Wilhelm  was  the  only  noble  in  the  German  Empire 
who  was  ignorant  of  the  significance  of  the  four  letters, 
and  doubtless  the  senders  were  amazed  at  his  temerity 
in  nonchalantly  ignoring  the  repeated  warnings,  which 
would  have  brought  pallor  to  the  cheeks  of  the  highest 
in  the  land.  Wilhelm  had  been  always  so  dependent 
on  the  advice  of  Gottlieb  that  it  never  occurred  to  him 
to  seek  explanation  from  any  one  else,  yet  in  this 
instance  Gottlieb,  from  the  same  cause  of  woodland 
training,  was  as  ignorant  as  his  master. 

It  is  possible  that  the  two  warnings  might  have  made 
a  greater  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  young  man 
were  it  not  that  he  was  troubled  about  his  own  status 
in  the  Empire.  There  had  been  much  envy  in  the 
Court  at  the  elevation  of  a  young  man  practically  un- 
known, to  the  position  of  commander-in-chief  of  the 
German  army,  and  high  officials  had  gone  so  far  as  to 
protest  against  what  they  said  was  regarded  as  a  piece 
of  unaccountable  favouritism.  The  Empress,  however, 
was  firm,  and  for  a  time  comment  seemed  to  cease,  but 
it  was  well  known  that  Wilhelm  had  no  real  standing, 
unless  his  appointment  was  confirmed  by  the  Emperor, 
and  his  commission  made  legal  by  the  royal  signature. 
It  became  known,  or,  at  least,  was  rumoured  that  twice 
the  Empress  had  sent  this  document  to  her  husband 
and  twice  it  had  been  returned  unsigned.  The  Emperor 
went  so  far  as  to  refuse  to  see  his  wife,  declining  to 
have  any  discussion  about  the  matter,  and  Wilhelm 
well  knew  that  every  step  he  took  in  the  fulfilment  of 
his  office  was  an  illegal  step*  and  if  a  hint  of  this  got  to 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  113 

the  ears  of  the  Archbishops  they  would  be  more  than 
justified  in  calling  him  to  account,  for  every  act  he 
performed  relating  to  the  army  after  he  knew  that  his 
monarch  had  refused  to  sanction  his  nomination  was  an 
act  of  rebellion  and  usurpation  punishable  by  deatn. 
The  Empress  was  well  aware  of  the  jeopardy  in  which 
her  attach^  stood,  but  she  implored  him  not  to  give  up 
the  position,  although  helpless  to  make  his  appoint- 
ment regular.  She  hoped  her  husband's  religious  fervour 
would  abate  and  that  he  would  deign  to  bestow  some 
attention  upon  earthly  things,  allowing  himself  to  be 
persuaded  of  the  necessity  of  keeping  up  a  standing 
army,  commanded  by  one  entirely  faithful  to  him. 
Wilhelm  himself  often  doubted  the  wisdom  of  his  inter- 
ference, which  had  allowed  the  throne  to  be  held  by  a 
man  who  so  neglected  all  its  duties  that  intrigues  and 
unrest  were  honeycombing  the  whole  fabric  of  society, 
beginning  at  the  top  and  working  its  way  down  until 
now  even  the  merchants  were  in  a  state  of  uncertainty, 
losing  faith  in  the  stability  of  the  government.  The 
determined  attitude  of  Wilhelm,  the  general  knowledge 
that  he  came  from  a  family  of  fighters,  and  the  whole- 
some fear  of  the  wild  outlaws  under  his  command,  did 
more  than  anything  else  to  keep  down  open  rebellion 
in  Court  and  to  make  the  position  of  the  Empress 
possible.  It  was  believed  that  Wilhelm  would  have 
little  hesitation  in  obliterating  half  the  nobility  of  the 
Court,  or  the  whole  of  it  for  that  matter,  if  but  reason- 
able excuse  were  given  him  for  doing  so,  and  every  one 
was  certain  that  his  cut-throats,  as  they  were  called,  would 
obey  any  command  he  liked  to  give,  and  would  delight 
in  whatever  slaughter  ensued.  The  Commander  held 
aloof  from  the  Court,  although,  because  of  his  position, 

he  had  a  room  in  the  palace  which  no  one  but  the 
8 


114  THE  STRONG  ARM 

monarch  and  the  chief  officer  of  the  army  might  enter, 
yet  he  rarely  occupied  this  apartment,  using,  instead, 
the  suite  at  the  barracks. 

Some  days  after  the  second  episode  of  the  dagger  he 
received  a  summons  from  the  Empress  commanding  his 
instant  presence  at  the  palace.  On  arriving  at  the 
Court,  he  found  Brunhilda  attended  by  a  group  of 
nobles,  who  fell  back  as  the  young  commander  ap- 
proached. The  Empress  smiled  as  he  bent  his  knee 
and  kissed  her  hand,  but  Wilhelm  saw  by  the  anxiety 
in  her  eye  that  something  untoward  had  happened, 
guessing  that  his  commission  was  returned  for  the 
third  time  unsigned  from  the  Emperor,  and  being 
correct  in  his  surmise. 

"  Await  me  in  the  Administration  Room  of  the 
Army,"  said  the  Empress.  "  I  will  see  you  presently. 
You  have  somewhat  neglected  that  room  of  late,  my 
Lord." 

"  I  found  I  could  more  adequately  fulfil  your  Maj- 
esty's command  and  keep  in  closer  touch  with  the 
army  by  occupying  my  apartments  at  the  barracks." 

"  I  trust,  then,  that  you  will  have  a  good  report  to 
present  to  me  regarding  the  progress  of  my  soldiers," 
replied  the  Empress,  dismissing  him  with  a  slight  incli- 
nation of  her  head. 

Wilhelm  left  the  audience  chamber  and  proceeded 
along  the  corridor  with  which  his  room  was  connected. 
The  soldier  at  the  entrance  saluted  him,  and  Wilhelm 
entered  the  Administration  Chamber.  It  was  a  large 
room  and  in  the  centre  of  it  stood  a  large  table.  After 
closing  the  door  Wilhelm  paused  in  his  advance,  for 
there  in  the  centre  of  the  table,  buried  to  its  very  hilt 
through  the  planks,  was  a  duplicate  of  the  dagger  he 
had  concealed  inside  his  doublet.  It  required  some 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  115 

exertion  of  Wilhelm's  great  strength  before  he  dis-' 
lodged  the  weapon  from  the  timber  into  which  it  had 
been  so  fiercely  driven.  The  scroll  it  affixed  differed 
from  each  of  the  other  two.  It  began  with  the  words, 
"  Final  warning,"  and  ended  with  "  To  Wilhelm  of 
Schonburg,  so-called  Commander  of  the  Imperial 
forces,"  as  if  from  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  writer 
that  there  should  be  no  mistake  regarding  the  destina- 
tion of  the  missive.  The  young  man  placed  the  knife 
on  the  parchment  and  stood  looking  at  them  both  until 
the  Empress  was  announced.  He  strode  forward  to 
meet  her  and  conducted  her  to  a  chair,  where  she  seated 
herself,  he  remaining  on  his  feet. 

"  I  am  in  deep  trouble,"  she  began,  "  the  commission 
authorising  you  to  command  the  Imperial  troops  has 
been  returned  for  the  third  time  unsigned ;  not  only 
that,  but  the  act  authorising  the  reconstruction  of 
the  army,  comes  back  also  without  the  Emperor's 
signature." 

Wilhelm  remained  silent,  for  he  well  knew  that  the 
weakness  of  their  position  was  the  conduct  of  the  Em- 
peror, and  this  was  an  evil  which  he  did  not  know 
how  to  remedy. 

"  When  he  returned  both  documents  the  first  time," 
continued  the  Empress,  "  I  sent  to  him  a  request  for  an 
interview  that  I  might  explain  the  urgency  and  neces- 
sity of  the  matter.  This  request  was  refused,  and 
although  I  know  of  course  that  my  husband  might 
perhaps  be  called  eccentric,  still  he  had  never  before 
forbade  my  presence.  This  aroused  my  suspicion." 

"  Suspicion  of  what,  your  Majesty  ?  "  inquired  Wil- 
helm. 

"  My  suspicion  that  the  messages  I  sent  him  have 
been  intercepted." 


ii6  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Who  would  dare  do  such  a  thing,  your  Majesty?" 
cried  Wilhelm  in  amazement. 

"  Where  large  stakes  are  played  for,  large  risks  must 
be  taken,"  went  on  the  lady.  "  I  said  nothing  at  the 
time,  but  yesterday  I  sent  to  him  two  acts  which  he 
himself  had  previously  sanctioned,  but  never  carried 
out ;  these  were  returned  to  me  to-day  unsigned,  and 
now  I  fear  one  of  three  things.  The  Emperor  is  ill,  is 
a  prisoner,  or  is  dead." 

"  If  it  is  your  Majesty's  wish,"  said  Wilhelm,  "  I  will 
put  myself  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  men,  surround  the 
cathedral,  search  the  cloisters,  and  speedily  ascertain 
whether  the  Emperor  is  there  or  no." 

"  I  have  thought  of  such  action,"  declared  the  Em- 
press, "  but  I  dislike  to  take  it.  It  would  bring  me  in 
conflict  with  the  Church,  and  then  there  is  always  the 
chance  that  the  Emperor  is  indeed  within  the  cloisters, 
and  that,  of  his  own  free  will,  he  refuses  to  sign  the 
documents  I  have  sent  to  him.  In  such  case  what 
excuse  could  we  give  for  our  interference  ?  It  might 
precipitate  the  very  crisis  we  are  so  anxious  to  avoid." 

The  Empress  had  been  sitting  by  the  table  with  her 
arm  resting  upon  it,  her  fingers  toying  unconsciously 
with  the  knife  while  she  spoke,  and  now  as  her  remarks 
reached  their  conclusion  her  eyes  fell  upon  its  hilt  and 
slender  blade.  With  an  exclamation  almost  resembling 
a  scream  the  Empress  sprang  to  her  feet  and  allowed 
the  dagger  to  fall  clattering  on  the  floor. 

"  Where  did  that  come  from  ?  "  she  cried.  "  Is  it  in- 
tended for  me  ?  "  and  she  shook  her  trembling  hands  as 
if  they  had  touched  a  poisonous  scorpion. 

"  Where  it  comes  from  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  not 
intended  for  your  Majesty,  as  this  scroll  will  inform 
you." 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  117 

Brunhilda  took  the  parchment  he  offered  and  held  it 
at  arm's  length  from  her,  reading  its  few  words  with 
dilated  eyes,  and  Wilhelm  was  amazed  to  see  in  them 
the  fear  which  they  failed  to  show  when  she  faced  the 
three  powerful  Archbishops.  Finally  the  scroll  fluttered 
from  her  nerveless  fingers  to  the  floor  and  the  Empress 
sank  back  in  her  chair. 

"  You  have  received  two  other  warnings  then  ?  "  she 
said  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty.     What  is  their  meaning  ?  " 

"  They  are  the  death  warrants  of  the  Fehmgerichte, 
a  dread  and  secret  tribunal  before  which  even  emperors 
quail.  If  you  obey  this  mandate  you  will  never  be 
seen  on  earth  again  ;  if  you  disobey  you  will  be  secretly 
assassinated  by  one  of  these  daggers,  for  after  ignoring 
the  third  warning  a  hundred  thousand  such  blades  are 
lying  in  wait  for  your  heart,  and  ultimately  one  of  them 
will  reach  it,  no  matter  in  what  quarter  of  Germany 
you  hide  yourself." 

"  And  who  are  the  members  of  this  mysterious  as- 
sociation, your  Majesty  ?  " 

"  That,  you  can  tell  as  well  as  I,  better  perhaps,  for 
you  may  be  a  member  while  I  cannot  be.  Perhaps  the 
the  soldier  outside  this  door  belongs  to  the  Fehmge- 
richte, or  your  own  Chamberlain,  or  perhaps  your  most 
devoted  lieutenant,  the  lusty  Gottlieb." 

"  That,  your  Majesty,  I'll  swear  he  is  not,  for  he  was 
as  amazed  as  I  when  he  saw  the  dagger  at  the  barracks." 

Brunhilda  shook  her  head. 

"You  cannot  judge  from  pretended  ignorance,"  she 
said,  "  because  a  member  is  sworn  to  keep  all  secrets  of 
the  holy  Fehm  from  wife  and  child,  father  and  mother, 
sister  and  brother,  fire  and  wind  ;  from  all  that  the  sun 
shines  on  and  the  rain  wets,  and  from  every  being 


ii8  THE  STRONG  ARM 

between  heaven  and  earth.  Those  are  the  words  of  the 
oath." 

Wilhelm  found  himself  wondering  how  his  informant 
knew  so  much  about  the  secret  court  if  all  those  rules 
were  strictly  kept,  but  he  naturally  shrank  from  any 
inquiry  regarding  the  source  of  her  knowledge.  Never- 
theless her  next  reply  gave  him  an  inkling  of  the  truth. 

"  Who  is  the  head  of  this  tribunal  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  Emperor  is  the  nominal  head,  but  my  husband 
never  approved  of  the  Fehmgerichte  ;  originally  organ- 
ised to  redress  the  wrongs  of  tyranny,  it  has  become  a 
gigantic  instrument  of  oppression.  The  Archbishop  of 
Cologne  is  the  actual  president  of  the  order,  not  in  his 
capacity  as  an  elector,  nor  as  archbishop,  but  because 
he  is  Duke  of  Westphalia,  where  this  tragic  court  had 
its  origin." 

"  Your  Majesty  imagines  then,  that  this  summons 
comes  from  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne  ?' ' 

"  Oh,  no.  I  doubt  if  he  has  any  knowledge  of  it. 
Each  district  has  a  freigraf,  or  presiding  judge,  assisted 
by  seven  assessors,  or  freischoffen,  who  sit  in  so  called 
judgment  with  him,  but  literally  they  merely  record  the 
sentence,  for  condemnation  is  a  foregone  conclusion." 

"  Is  the  sentence  always  death  ?  " 

"  Always,  at  this  secret  tribunal ;  a  sentence  of  death 
immediately  carried  out.  In  the  open  Fehmic  court, 
banishment,  prison,  or  other  penalty  may  be  inflicted, 
but  you  are  summoned  to  appear  before  the  secret 
tribunal." 

"  Does  your  Majesty  know  the  meaning  of  these 
cabalistic  letters  on  the  dagger's  hilt  and  on  the  parch- 
ment? " 

"  The  letters  '  S.  S.  G.  G.'  stand  for  Strick,  Stein, 
Gras,  Grim  :  Strick  meaning,  it  is  said,  the  rope  which 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  119 

hangs  you  ;  Stein,  the  stone  at  the  head  of  your  grave, 
and  Gras,  Grtin,  the  green  grass  covering  it." 

"  Well,  your  Majesty,"  said  Wilhelm,  picking  up  the 
parchment  from  the  floor  and  tearing  it  in  small  pieces, 
"  if  I  have  to  choose  between  the  rope  and  the  dagger, 
I  freely  give  my  preference  to  the  latter.  I  shall  not 
attend  this  secret  conclave,  and  if  any  of  its  members 
think  to  strike  a  dagger  through  my  heart,  he  will  have 
to  come  within  the  radius  of  my  sword  to  do  so." 

"  God  watch  over  you,"  said  the  Empress  fervently, 
"  for  this  is  a  case  in  which  the  protection  of  an  earthly 
throne  is  of  little  avail.  And  remember,  Lord  Wilhelm, 
trust  not  even  your  most  intimate  friend  within  arm's 
length  of  you.  The  only  persons  who  may  not  become 
members  of  this  dread  order  are  a  Jew,  an  outlaw,  an 
infidel,  a  woman,  a  servant,  a  priest,  or  a  person  ex- 
communicated." 

Wilhelm  escorted  the  Empress  to  the  door  of  the  red 
room,  and  there  took  leave  of  her ;  he  being  unable  to 
suggest  anything  that  might  assuage  her  anxiety  re- 
garding her  husband,  she  being  unable  to  protect  him 
from  the  new  danger  that  threatened.  Wilhelm  was  as 
brave  as  any  man  need  be,  and  in  a  fair  fight  was  con- 
tent to  take  whatever  odds  came,  but  now  he  was  con- 
fronted by  a  subtle  invisible  peril,  against  which  ordi- 
nary courage  was  futile.  An  unaccustomed  shiver 
chilled  him  as  the  palace  sentinel,  in  the  gathering 
gloom  of  the  corridor,  raised  his  hand  swiftly  to  his 
helmet  in  salute.  He  passed  slowly  down  the  steps  of 
the  palace  into  the  almost  deserted  square  in  front  of 
it,  for  the  citizens  of  Frankfort  found  it  expedient  to 
get  early  indoors  when  darkness  fell.  The  young  man 
found  himself  glancing  furtively  from  right  to  left, 
starting  at  every  shadow  and  scrutinising  every  passer- 


120  THE  STRONG  ARM 

by  who  was  innocently  hurrying  to  his  own  home. 
The  name  "  Fehmgerichte  "  kept  repeating  itself  in  his 
brain  like  an  incantation.  He  took  the  middle  of  the 
square  and  hesitated  when  he  came  to  the  narrow  street 
down  which  his  way  lay.  At  the  street  corner  he 
paused,  laid  his  hand  on  the  hilt  of  his  sword  and  drew 
a  deep  breath. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  he  muttered  to  himself,  "  that  I  am 
afraid  ?  Am  I  at  heart  a  coward  ?  By  the  cross  which 
is  my  protection,"  he  cried,  "  if  they  wish  to  try  their 
poniarding,  they  shall  have  an  opportunity  !  " 

And  drawing  his  sword  he  plunged  into  the  dark  and 
narrow  street,  his  footsteps  ringing  defiantly  in  the 
silence  on  the  stone  beneath  him  as  he  strode  resolutely 
along.  He  passed  rapidly  through  the  city  until  he 
came  to  the  northern  gate.  Here  accosting  his  warders 
and  being  assured  that  all  was  well,  he  took  the  street 
which,  bending  like  a  bow,  followed  the  wall  until  it 
came  to  the  river.  Once  or  twice  he  stopped,  thinking 
himself  followed,  but  the  darkness  was  now  so  impene- 
trable that  even  if  a  pursuer  had  been  behind  him  he 
was  safe  from  detection  if  he  kept  step  with  his  victim 
and  paused  when  he  did.  The  street  widened  as  it  ap- 
proached the  river,  and  Wilhelm  became  convinced 
that  some  one  was  treading  in  his  footsteps.  Clasping 
his  sword  hilt  more  firmly  in  his  hand  he  wheeled  about 
with  unexpectedness  that  evidently  took  his  follower 
by  surprise,  for  he  dashed  across  the  street  and  sped 
fleetly  towards  the  river.  The  glimpse  Wilhelm  got  of 
him  in  the  open  space  between  the  houses  made  him 
sure  that  he  was  once  more  on  the  track  of  von  Brent, 
the  emissary  of  Treves.  The  tables  were  now  turned, 
the  pursuer  being  the  pursued,  and  Wilhelm  set  his 
teeth,  resolved  to  put  a  sudden  end  to  this  continued 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  121 

espionage.  Von  Brent  evidently  remembered  his 
former  interception,  and  now  kept  a  straight  course. 
Trusting  to  the  swiftness  of  his  heels,  he  uttered  no 
cry,  but  directed  all  his  energies  toward  flight,  and  Wil- 
helm,  equally  silent,  followed  as  rapidly. 

Coming  to  the  river,  von  Brent  turned  to  the  east, 
keeping  in  the  middle  of  the  thoroughfare.  On  the 
left  hand  side  was  a  row  of  houses,  on  the  right  flowed 
the  rapid  Main.  Some  hundreds  of  yards  further  up 
there  were  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  street,  and  as 
the  water  of  the  river  flowed  against  the  walls  of  the 
houses  to  the  right,  Wilhelm  kne\y  there  could  be  no 
escape  that  way.  Surmising  that  his  victim  kept  the 
middle  of  the  street  in  order  to  baffle  the  man  at  his 
heels,  puzzling  him  as  to  which  direction  the  fugitive 
intended  to  bolt,  Wilhelm,  not  to  be  deluded  by  such  a 
device,  ran  close  to  the  houses  on  the  left,  knowing 
that  if  von  Brent  turned  to  the  right  he  would  be 
speedily  stopped  by  the  Main.  The  race  promised  to 
reach  a  sudden  conclusion,  for  Wilhelm  was  perceptibly 
gaining  on  his  adversary,  when  coming  to  the  first 
house  by  the  river  the  latter  swerved  suddenly,  jumped 
to  a  door,  pushed  it  open  and  was  inside  in  the  twin- 
kling of  an  eye,  but  only  barely  in  time  to  miss  the 
sword  thrust  that  followed  him.  Quick  as  thought 
Wilhelm  placed  his  foot  in  such  a  position  that  the 
door  could  not  be  closed.  Then  setting  his  shoulder 
to  the  panels,  he  forced  it  open  in  spite  of  the  resist- 
ance behind  it.  Opposition  thus  overborne  by  superior 
strength,  Wilhelm  heard  the  clatter  of  von  Brent's  foot- 
steps down  the  dark  passage,  and  next  instant  the  door 
was  closed  with  a  bang,  and  it  seemed  to  the  young 
man  that  the  house  had  collapsed  upon  him.  He 
heard  his  sword  snap  and  felt  it  break  beneath  him, 


122  THE  STRONG  ARM 

and  he  was  gagged  and  bound  before  he  could  raise  a 
hand  to  help  himself.  Then  when  it  was  too  late,  he 
realised  that  he  had  allowed  the  heat  and  fervour  of 
pursuit  to  overhelm  his  judgment,  and  had  jumped 
straight  into  the  trap  prepared  for  him.  Von  Brent 
returned  with  a  lantern  in  his  hand  and  a  smile  on  his 
face,  breathing  quickly  after  his  exertions.  Wilhelm, 
huddled  in  a  corner,  saw  a  dozen  stalwart  ruffians 
grouped  around  him,  most  of  them  masked,  but  two  or 
three  with  faces  bare,  their  coverings  having  come  off 
in  the  struggle.  These  slipped  quickly  out  of  sight, 
behind  the  others,  as  if  not  wishing  to  give  clue  for 
future  recognition. 

"  Well,  my  Lord,"  said  von  Brent,  smiling,  "  you  see 
that  gagging  and  binding  is  a  game  that  two  may  play 
at." 

There  was  no  reply  to  this,  first,  because  Wilhelm 
was  temporarily  in  a  speechless  condition,  and,  second, 
because  the  proposition  was  not  one  to  be  contradicted. 

"  Take  him  to  the  Commitment  Room,"  commanded 
von  Brent. 

Four  of  the  onlookers  lifted  Wilhelm  and  carried  him 
down  a  long  stairway,  across  a  landing  and  to  the  foot 
of  a  second  flight  of  steps,  where  he  was  thrown  into  a 
dark  cell,  the  dimensions  of  which  he  could  not  esti- 
mate. When  the  door  was  closed  the  prisoner  lay  with 
his  head  leaning  against  it,  and  for  a  time  the  silence 
was  intense.  By  and  by  he  found  that  by  turning  his 
head  so  that  his  ear  was  placed  against  the  panel  of  the 
door,  he  heard  distinctly  the  footfalls  outside,  and  even 
a  shuffling  sound  near  him,  which  seemed  to  indicate 
that  a  man  was  on  guard  at  the  other  side  of  the  oak. 
Presently  some  one  approached,  and  in  spite  of  the 
low  tones  used,  Wilhelm  not  only  heard  what  was 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  123 

being  said,  but  recognised  the  voice  of  von  Brent,  who 
evidently  was  his  jailer. 

"  You  have  him  safely  then  ?  " 

"  Gagged  and  bound,  my  Lord." 

"  Is  he  disarmed  ?  " 

"  His  sword  was  broken  under  him,  my  Lord,  when 
we  fell  upon  him." 

"  Very  well.  Remove  the  gag  and  place  him  with 
No.  13.  Bar  them  in  and  listen  to  their  conversation. 
I  think  they  have  never  met,  but  I  want  to  be  sure 
of  it." 

"  Is  there  not  a  chance  that  No.  13  may  make  him- 
self known,  my  Lord  ? 

"  No  matter  if  he  does.  In  fact,  it  is  my  object 
to  have  No.  13  and  No.  14  known  to  each  other,  and 
yet  be  not  aware  that  we  have  suspicion  of  their 
knowledge." 

When  the  door  of  the  cell  was  opened  four  guards 
came  in.  It  was  manifest  they  were  not  going  to  allow 
Wilhelm  any  chance  to  escape,  and  were  prepared  to 
overpower  him  should  he  attempt  flight  or  resistance. 
The  gag  was  taken  from  his  mouth  and  the  thongs 
which  bound  his  legs  were  untied,  and  thus  he  was 
permitted  to  stand  on  his  feet.  Once  outside  his  cell 
he  saw  that  the  subterranean  region  in  which  he  found 
himself  was  of  vast  extent,  resembling  the  crypt  of  a 
cathedral,  the  low  roof  being  supported  by  pillars  of 
tremendous  circumference.  From  the  direction  in 
which  he  had  been  carried  from  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
he  surmised,  and  quite  accurately, -that  this  cavern  was 
under  the  bed  of  the  river.  Those  who  escorted  him 
and  those  whom  he  met  were  masked.  No  torches 
illuminated  the  gloom  of  this  sepulchral  hall,  but  each 
individual  carried,  attached  in  some  way  to  his  belt,  a 


124  THE  STRONG  ARM 

small  horn  lantern,  which  gave  for  a  little  space  around 
a  dim  uncertain  light,  casting  weird  shadows  against 
the  pillars  of  the  cavern.  Once  or  twice  they  met  a 
man  clothed  in  an  apparently  seamless  cloak  of  black 
cloth,  that  covered  the  head  and  extended  to  the  feet. 
Two  holes  in  front  of  the  face  allowed  a  momentary 
glimpse  of  a  pair  of  flashing  eyes  as  the  yellow  light 
from  the  lanterns  smote  them.  These  grim  figures 
were  presumably  persons  of  importance,  for  the  guards 
stopped,  and  saluted,  as  each  one  approached,  not  going 
forward  until  he  had  silently  passed  them.  When 
finally  the  door  of  the  cell  they  sought  was  reached, 
the  guards  drew  back  the  bolts,  threw  it  open,  and 
pushed  Wilhelm  into  the  apartment  that  had  been 
designated  for  him.  Before  closing  the  door,  however, 
one  of  the  guards  placed  a  lantern  on  the  floor  so  that 
the  fellow-prisoners  might  have  a  chance  of  seeing 
each  other.  Wilhelm  beheld,  seated  on  a  pallet  of 
straw,  a  man  well  past  middle  age,  his  face  smooth- 
shaven  and  of  serious  cast,  yet  having,  nevertheless,  a 
trace  of  irresolution  in  his  weak  chin.  His  costume 
was  that  of  a  mendicant  monk,  and  his  face  seemed  in- 
dicative of  the  severity  of  monastic  rule.  There  was, 
however,  a  serenity  of  courage  in  his  eye  which  seemed 
to  betoken  that  he  was  a  man  ready  to  die  for  his 
opinions,  if  once  his  wavering  chin  allowed  him  to 
form  them.  Wilhelm  remembering  that  priests  were 
not  allowed  to  join  the  order  of  the  Fehmgerichte  re- 
flected that  here  was  a  man  who  probably,  from  his 
fearless  denunciations  of  the  order,  had  brought  down 
upon  himself  the  hatred  of  the  secret  tribunal,  whose 
only  penalty  was  that  of  death.  The  older  man  was 
the  first  to  speak. 

"  So  you  also  are  a  victim  of  the  Fehmgerichte  ?  " 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  125 

"  I  have  for  some  minutes  suspected  as  much,"  re- 
plied von  Schonburg. 

"  Were  you  arrested  and  brought  here,  or  did  you 
come  here  willingly  ?  "  *v 

"  Oh,  I  came  here  willingly  enough.  I  ran  half  a 
league  in  my  eagerness  to  reach  this  spot  and  fairly 
jumped  into  it,"  replied  Wilhelm,  with  a  bitter  laugh". 

"  You  were  in  such  haste  to  reach  this  spot  ?  "  said 
the  old  man,  sombrely,  "  what  is  your  crime  ?  " 

"  That  I  do  not  know,  but  I  shall  probably  soon 
learn  when  I  come  before  the  court." 

"  Are  you  a  member  of  the  order,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not." 

"  In  that  case,  it  will  require  the  oaths  of  twenty-one 
members  to  clear  you,  therefore,  if  you  have  not  that 
many  friends  in  the  order  I  look  upon  you  as  doomed." 

"  Thank  you.     That  is  as  God  wills." 

"  Assuredly,  assuredly.  We  are  all  in  His  hands," 
and  the  good  man  devoutedly  crossed  himself. 

"  I  have  answered  your  questions,"  said  Wilhelm, 
"  answer  you  some  of  mine.  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  seeker  after  light." 

"  Well,  there  it  is,"  said  Wilhelm,  touching  the  lan- 
tern with  his  foot  as  he  paced  up  and  down  the  limits 
of  the  cell. 

"  Earthly  light  is  but  dim  at  best,  it  is  the  light  of 
Heaven  I  search  after." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  may  be  successful  in  finding  it. 
I  know  of  no  place  where  it  is  needed  so  much  as 
here." 

"  You  speak  like  a  scoffer.  I  thought  from  what  you 
said  of  God's  will,  that  you  were  a  religious  man." 

"  I  am  a  religious  man,  I  hope,  and  I  regret  if  my 
words  seem  lightly  spoken. 


126  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  What  action  of  man,  think  you  then,  is  most  pleas- 
ing to  God  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  question  which  you,  to  judge  by  your 
garb,  are  more  able  to  answer,than  I." 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  want  your  opinion." 

"  Then  in  my  opinion,  the  man  most  pleasing  to 
God  is  he  who  does  his  duty  here  on  earth." 

"  Ah  !  right,  quite  right,"  cried  the  older  man, 
eagerly.  "  But  there  lies  the  core  of  the  whole  prob- 
lem. What  is  duty  ;  that  is  what  I  have  spent  my  life 
trying  to  learn." 

"  Then  at  a  venture  I  should  say  your  life  has  been 
a  useless  one.  Duty  is  as  plain  as  the  lighted  lantern 
there  before  us.  If  you  are  a  priest,  fulfil  your  priestly 
office  well ;  comfort  the  sick,  console  the  dying,  bury 
the  dead.  Tell  your  flock  not  to  speculate  too  much 
on  duty,  but  to  try  and  accomplish  the  work  in  hand." 

"  But  I  am  not  a  priest,"  faltered  the  other,  rising 
slowly  to  his  feet. 

"  Then  if  you  are  a  soldier,  strike  hard  for  your 
King.  Kill  the  man  immediately  before  you,  and  if, 
instead,  he  kills  you,  be  assured  that  the  Lord  will  look 
after  your  soul  when  it  departs  through  the  rent  thus 
made  in  your  body." 

"  There  is  a  ring  of  truth  in  that,  but  it  sounds 
worldly.  How  can  we  tell  that  such  action  is  pleasing 
to  God  ?  May  it  not  be  better  to  depend  entirely  on 
the  Lord,  and  let  Him  strike  your  blows  for  you  ?  " 

"  Never  !  What  does  He  give  you  arms  for  but  to 
protect  your  own  head,  and  what  does  He  give  you 
swift  limbs  for  if  not  to  take  your  body  out  of  reach 
when  you  are  threatened  with  being  overmatched  ? 
God  must  despise  such  a  man  as  you  speak  of,  and 
rightly  so.  I  am  myself  a  commander  of  soldiers,  and 


THE  NEEDLE  DAGGER  127 

if  I  had  a  lieutenant  who  trusted  all  to  me  and  refused 
to  strike  a  sturdy  blow  on  his  own  behalf  I  should  tear 
his  badge  from  him  and  have  him  scourged  from  out 
the  ranks." 

"  But  may  we  not,  by  misdirected  efforts,  thwart  the 
will  of  God  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  the  depths  of  human  vanity  !  Thwart  the 
will  of  God  ?  What,  a  puny  worm  like  you  ?  You 
amaze  me,  sir,  with  your  conceit,  and  I  lose  the  respect 
for  you  which  at  first  your  garb  engendered  in  my 
mind.  Do  your  work  manfully,  and  flatter  not  your- 
self that  your  most  strenuous  efforts  are  able  to  cross 
the  design  of  the  Almighty.  My  own  poor  belief  is 
that  He  has  patience  with  any  but  a  coward  and  a 
loiterer." 

The  elder  prisoner  staggered  into  the  centre  of  the 
room  and  raised  his  hands  above  his  head. 

"  Oh,  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me,"  he  cried.  "  Thou 
who  hast  brought  light  to  me  in  this  foul  dungeon 
which  was  refused  to  me  in  the  radiance  of  Thy  Cathe- 
dral. Have  mercy  on  me,  oh,  Lord,  the  meanest  of 
Thy  servants — a  craven  Emperor." 

"  The  Emperor !  "  gasped  Wilhelm,  the  more  amazed 
because  he  had  his  Majesty  in  mind  when  he  spoke  so 
bitterly  of  neglected  duty,  unconsciously  blaming  his 
sovereign  rather  than  his  own  rashness  for  the  extreme 
predicament  in  which  he  found  himself. 

Before  either  could  again  speak  the  door  suddenly 
opened  wide,  and  a  deep  voice  solemnly  enunciated 
the  words  : 

"  Wilhelm  of  Schonburg,  pretended  Commander  of 
his  Majesty's  forces,  you  are  summoned  to  appear 
instantly  before  the  court  of  the  Holy  Fehm,  now  in 
session  and  awaiting  you." 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE     HOLY     FEHM 

WHEN  the  spokesman  of  the  Fehmgerichte  had 
finished  his  ominous  summons,  his  attendants  crowded 
round  Wilhelm  swiftly  and  silently  as  if  to  forestall 
any  attempt  at  resistance  either  on  his  part  or  on  the 
part  of  the  Emperor.  They  hurried  their  victim  im- 
mediately out  of  the  cell  and  instantly  barred  the  door 
on  the  remaining  prisoner.  First  they  crossed  the  low- 
roofed,  thickly-pillared  great  hall,  passing  through  a 
doorway  at  which  two  armed  men  stood  guard,  masked, 
as  were  all  the  others.  The  Judgment  Hall  of  the 
dread  Fehmgerichte  was  a  room  of  about  ten  times  the 
extent  of  the  cell  Wilhelm  had  just  left,  but  still  hardly 
of  a  size  that  would  justify  the  term  large.  The  walls 
and  vaulted  roof  were  of  rough  stone,  and  on  the  side 
opposite  the  entrance  had  been  cut  deeply  the  large 
letters  S.  S.  G.  G.  A  few  feet  distant  from  this  lettered 
wall  stood  a  long  table,  and  between  the  wall  and  the 
table  sat  seven  men.  The  Freigraf,  as  Wilhelm  sur- 
mised him  to  be,  occupied  in  the  centre  of  this  line  a 
chair  slightly  more  elevated  than  those  of  the  three 
who  sat  on  either  hand.  Seven  staples  had  been  driven 
into  the  interstices  of  the  stones  above  the  heads  of 
the  Court  and  from  each  staple  hung  a  lighted  lantern, 
which  with  those  at  the  belts  of  the  guard  standing 
round,  illuminated  the  dismal  chamber  fairly  well.  To 

the  left  of  the  Court  was  a  block  draped  in  black  and 
128 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  129 

beside  it  stood  the  executioner  with  his  arms  resting 
on  the  handle  of  his  axe.  In  the  ceiling  above  his 
head  was  an  iron  ring  and  from  this  ring  depended  a 
rope,  the  noose  of  which  dangled  at  the  shoulder  of 
the  headsman,  for  it  was  the  benevolent  custom  of  the 
Court  to  allow  its  victim  a  choice  in  the  manner  of  his 
death.  It  was  also  a  habit  of  the  judges  of  this  Court 
to  sit  until  the  sentence  they  had  pronounced  was  car- 
ried out,  and  thus  there  could  be  no  chance  of  mistake 
or  rescue.  No  feature  of  any  judge  was  visible  except 
the  eyes  through  the  holes  pierced  for  the  purposes  of 
vision  in  the  long  black  cloaks  which  completely  en- 
veloped their  persons. 

As  Wilhelm  was  brought  to  a  stand  before  this  as- 
semblage, the  Freigraf  nodded  his  head  and  the  guards 
in  silence  undid  the  thongs  which  pinioned  together 
wrists  and  elbows,  leaving  the  prisoner  absolutely  un- 
fettered. This  done,  the  guard  retreated  backwards  to 
the  opposite  wall,  and  Wilhelm  stood  alone  before  the 
seven  sinister  doomsmen.  He  expected  that  his  ex- 
amination, if  the  Court  indulged  in  any  such,  would  be 
begun  by  the  Freigraf,  but  this  was  not  the  case.  The 
last  man  to  the  left  in  the  row  had  a  small  bundle  of 
documents  on  the  table  before  him.  He  rose  to  his 
feet,  bowed  low  to  his  brother  judges,  and  then  with 
less  deference  to  the  prisoner.  He  spoke  in  a  voice 
lacking  any  trace  of  loudness,  but  distinctly  heard  in 
every  corner  of  the  room  because  of  the  intense  still- 
ness. There  was  a  sweet  persuasiveness  in  the  accents 
he  used,  and  his  sentences  resembled  those  of  a  lady 
anxious  not  to  give  offence  to  the  person  addressed. 

"  Am  I  right  in  supposing  you  to  be  Wilhelm,  lately 
of  Schonburg,  but  now  of  Frankfort  ?  " 

"  You  are  right." 
9 


130  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  are  a  member  of  the  Fehmge- 
richte  ?  " 

"  I  am  not.  I  never  heard  of  it  until  this  after- 
noon." 

"  Who  was  then  your  informant  regarding  the 
order  ?  " 

"  I  refuse  to  answer." 

The  examiner  inclined  his  head  gracefully  as  if, 
while  regretting  the  decision  of  the  witness,  he  never- 
theless bowed  to  it. 

"  Do  you  acknowledge  his  lordship  the  Archbishop 
of  Mayence  as  your  over  lord  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  guilty  of  an  act  of  rebellion  or 
insubordination  against  his  lordship  ?  " 

"  My  over-lord,  the  Archbishop  of  Mayence,  has 
never  preferred  a  request  to  me  which  I  have  refused." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  fear  I  have  not  stated  my  proposition 
with  sufficient  clearness,  and  so  you  may  have  misun- 
derstood the  question.  I  had  in  my  mind  a  specific 
act,  and  so  will  enter  into  further  detail.  Is  it  true 
that  in  the  Wahlzimmer  you  entered  the  presence  of 
your  over-lord  with  a  drawn  sword  in  your  hand,  com- 
manding a  body  of  armed  men  lately  outlaws  of  the 
Empire,  thus  intimidating  your  over-lord  in  the  just 
exercise  of  his  privileges  and  rights  as  an  Elector  ?  " 

"  My  understanding  of  the  Feudal  law,"  said  Wil- 
helm,  "  is  that  the  commands  of  an  over-lord  are  to  be 
obeyed  only  in  so  far  as  they  do  not  run  counter  to 
orders  from  a  still  higher  authority." 

"  Your  exposition  of  the  law  is  admirable,  and  its  in- 
terpretation stands  exactly  as  you  have  stated  it.  Are 
we  to  understand  then  that  you  were  obeying  the 
orders  of  some  person  in  authority  who  is  empowered 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  131 

to  exercise  a  jurisdiction  over  his  lordship  the  Arch- 
bishop, similar  to  that  which  the  latter  in  his  turn 
claims  over  you  ?  " 

"  That  is  precisely  what  I  was  about  to  state." 

"  Whose  wishes  were  you  therefore  carrying  out  ?  " 

"  Those  of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor." 

The  examiner  bowed  with  the  utmost  deference 
when  the  august  name  was  mentioned. 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  in  the  name  of  the  Court,"  he 
went  on,  "  for  your  prompt  and  comprehensive  replies, 
which  have  thus  so  speedily  enabled  us  to  come  to  a 
just  and  honourable  verdict,  and  it  gives  me  pleasure  to 
inform  you  that  the  defence  you  have  made  is  one  that 
cannot  be  gainsaid,  and,  therefore,  with  the  exception 
of  one  slight  formality,  there  is  nothing  more  for  us  to 
do  but  to  set  you  at  liberty  and  ask  pardon  for  the 
constraint  we  regret  having  put  upon  you,  and  further 
to  request  that  you  take  oath  that  neither  to  wife  nor 
child,  father  nor  mother,  sister  nor  brother,  fire  nor 
wind,  will  you  reveal  anything  that  has  happened  to 
you  ;  that  you  will  conceal  it  from  all  that  the  sun 
shines  on  and  from  all  that  the  rain  wets,  and  from 
every  being  between  heaven  and  earth.  And  now  be- 
fore our  doors  are  thus  opened  I  have  to  beg  that  you 
will  favour  the  Court  with  the  privilege  of  examining 
the  commission  that  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  has 
signed." 

"  You  cannot  expect  me  to  carry  my  commission 
about  on  my  person,  more  especially  as  I  had  no  idea  I 
should  be  called  upon  to  undergo  examination  upon  it." 

"  Such  an  expectation  would  certainly  be  doomed  to 
disappointment,  but  you  are  doubtless  able  to  tell  us 
where  the  document  lies,  and  I  can  assure  you  that, 
wherever  it  is  placed,  an  emissary  of  this  order  will 


132  THE  STRONG  ARM 

speedily  fetch  it,  whether  it  is  concealed  in  palace  or  in 
hut.  Allow  me  to  ask  you  then,  where  this  commis- 
sion is  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"  Do  you  mean  you  cannot,  or  you  will  not  ?  " 

"  Take  it  whichever  way  you  please,  it  is  a  matter  of 
indifference  to  me." 

The  examiner  folded  his  arms  under  his  black  cloak 
and  stood  for  some  moments  in  silence,  looking  re- 
proachfully at  the  prisoner.  At  last  he  spoke  in  a 
tone  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  was  pained  at 
the  young  man's  attitude  : 

"  I  sincerely  trust  I  am  mistaken  in  supposing  that 
you  refuse  absolutely  to  assist  this  Court  in  the  secur- 
ing of  a  document  which  not  only  stands  between  you 
and  your  liberty,  but  also  between  you  and  your 
death." 

"  Oh,  a  truce  to  this  childish  and  feigned  regret," 
cried  Wilhelm  with  rude  impatience.  "  I  pray  you 
end  the  farce  with  less  of  verbiage  and  of  pretended 
justice.  You  have  his  Majesty  here  a  prisoner.  You 
have,  through  my  own  folly,  my  neck  at  the  mercy  of 
your  axe  or  your  rope.  There  stands  the  executioner 
eager  for  his  gruesome  work.  Finish  that  which  you 
have  already  decided  upon,  and  as  sure  as  there  is  a 
God  in  heaven  there  will  be  quick  retribution  for  the 
crimes  committed  in  this  loathsome  dungeon." 

The  examiner  deplored  the  introduction  of  heat  into 
a  discussion  that  required  the  most  temperate  judg- 
ment. 

"  But  be  assured,"  he  said,  "  that  the  hurling  of  un 
founded  accusations  against  this  honourable  body  will 
not  in  the  least  prejudice  their  members  in  dealing 
with  your  case." 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  133 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Wilhelm  with  a  sneering  laugh. 

"  We  have  been  informed  that  no  such  commission 
exists,  that  the  document  empowering  you  to  take 
instant  command  of  the  Imperial  troops  rests  in  the 
hands  of  the  wife  of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  and  is 
unsigned." 

"If  you  know  that,  then  why  do  you  ask  me  so 
many  questions  about  it?" 

"  In  the  sincere  hope  that  by  the  production  of  the 
document  itself,  you  may  be  able  to  repudiate  so  seri- 
ous an  accusation.  You  admit  then  that  you  have 
acted  without  the  shelter  of  a  commission  from  his 
Majesty  ?  " 

"  I  admit  nothing." 

The  examiner  looked  up  and  down  the  row  of  silent 
figures  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  have  done  my  best ;  shall 
any  further  questions  be  put  ? "  There  being  no  re- 
sponse to  this  the  examiner  said,  still  without  raising 
his  voice : 

"  There  is  a  witness  in  this  case,  and  I  ask  him  to 
stand  forward." 

A  hooded  and  cloaked  figure  approached  the  table. 

"  Are  you  a  member  of  the  Fehmgerichte  ?  " 

"  I  am." 

"  In  good  and  honourable  standing  ?  " 

"  In  good  and  honourable  standing." 

"  You  swear  by  the  order  to  which  you  belong  that 
the  evidence  you  give  shall  be  truth  without  equivoca- 
tion and  without  mental  reservation?" 

"  I  swear  it." 

"  Has  the  prisoner  a  commission  signed  by  the 
Emperor  empowering  him  to  command  the  Imperial 
troops  ?  " 

"  He  has  not,  and  never  has  had  such  a  commission. 


134  THE  STRONG  ARM 

A  document  was  made  out  and  sent  three  times  to 
his  Majesty  for  signature  ;  to-day  it  was  returned  for 
the  third  time  unsigned." 

"  Prisoner,  do  you  deny  that  statement  ?  " 

"  I  neither  deny  nor  affirm." 

Wilhelm  was  well  aware  that  his  fate  was  decided 
upon.  Even  if  he  had  appeared  before  a  regularly  con- 
stituted court  of  the  Empire  instead  of  at  the  bar  of  an 
underground  secret  association,  the  verdict  must  in- 
evitably have  gone  against  him,  so  long  as  the  Em- 
peror's signature  was  not  appended  to  the  document 
which  would  have  legalised  his  position. 

"  It  would  appear  then,"  went  on  the  examiner, 
"  that  in  the  action  you  took  against  your  immediate 
over-lord,  the  Archbishop  of  Mayence,  you  were  un- 
protected by  the  mandate  of  the  Emperor.  Freigraf 
and  Freischoffen  have  heard  question  and  answer. 
With  extreme  reluctance  I  am  compelled  to  announce 
to  this  honourable  body,  that  nothing  now  remains 
except  to  pronounce  the  verdict." 

With  this  the  examiner  sat  down,  and  for  a  few 
moments  there  was  silence,  then  the  Freigraf  enun- 
ciated in  a  low  voice  the  single  word : 

"  Condemned." 

And  beginning  at  the  right  hand,  each  member  of 
the  Court  pronounced  the  word  "  Condemned." 

Wilhelm  listened  eagerly  to  the  word,  expecting  each 
moment  to  hear  the  voice  of  one  or  other  of  the  Arch- 
bishops, but  in  this  he  was  disappointed.  The  low 
tone  universally  used  by  each  speaker  gave  a  certain 
monotony  of  sound  which  made  it  almost  impossible 
to  distinguish  one  voice  from  another.  This  evident 
desire  for  concealment  raised  a  suspicion  in  the  young 
man's  mind  that  probably  each  member  of  the  Court 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  135 

did  not  know  who  his  neighbours  were.  When  the  ex- 
aminer at  the  extreme  left  had  uttered  the  word  "  Con- 
demned "  the  Freigraf  again  spoke  : 

"  Is  there  any  reason  why  the  sentence  just  pro- 
nounced be  not  immediately  carried  out  ?  " 

The  examiner  again  rose  to  his  feet  and  said  quietly, 
but  with  great  respect  : 

"  My  Lord,  I  ask  that  this  young  man  be  not  exe- 
cuted immediately,  but  on  the  contrary,  be  taken  to 
his  cell,  there  to  be  held  during  the  pleasure  of  the 
Court." 

There  seemed  to  be  a  murmured  dissent  to  this,  but 
a  whispered  explanation  passed  along  the  line  and  the 
few  that  had  at  first  objected,  nodded  their  heads  in 
assent. 

"  Our  rule  cannot  be  set  aside,"  said  the  Freigraf, 
"  unless  with  unanimous  consent.  Does  any  member 
demur?  " 

No  protests  being  made  the  Freigraf  ordered  Wil- 
helm  to  be  taken  to  a  cell,  which  was  accordingly  done. 

The  young  man  left  alone  in  the  darkness  felt  a 
pleasure  in  being  able  to  stretch  his  arms  once  more, 
and  he  paced  up  and  down  the  narrow  limits  of  his  cell, 
wondering  what  the  next  move  would  be  in  this  mys- 
terious drama.  In  the  Judgment  Chamber  he  had 
abandoned  all  hope,  and  had  determined  that  when 
the  order  was  given  to  seize  him  he  would  pluck  the 
dagger  of  the  order  from  the  inside  of  his  doublet,  and 
springing  over  the  table,  kill  one  or  more  of  these 
illegal  judges  before  he  was  overpowered.  The  sudden 
change  in  tactics  persuaded  him  that  something  else 
was  required  of  him  rather  than  the  death  which  seemed 
so  imminent.  It  was  palpable  that  several  members  of 
the  Court  at  least  were  unacquainted  with  the  designs 


136  THE  STRONG  ARM 

of  the  master  mind  which  was  paramount  in  his  pros- 
ecution. They  had  evinced  surprise  when  the  exam- 
iner had  demanded  postponement  of  the  execution. 
There  was  something  behind  all  this  that  betrayed  the 
crafty  hand  of  the  Archbishop  of  Treves.  He  was 
not  long  left  in  doubt.  The  door  of  the  cell  opened 
slowly  and  the  pale  rays  of  a  lantern  illuminated  the 
blackness  which  surrounded  him.  The  young  man 
stopped  in  his  walk  and  awaited  developments.  There 
entered  to  him  one  of  the  cloak-enveloped  figures,  who 
might,  or  might  not,  be  a  member  of  the  Holy  Court. 
Wilhelm  thought  that  perhaps  his  visitor  was  the  ex- 
aminer, but  the  moment  the  silence  was  broken,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  speaker  endeavoured  to  modu- 
late his  tones  as  the  others  had  done,  the  young  man 
knew  the  incomer  was  not  the  person  who  had  ques- 
tioned him. 

"  We  are  somewhat  loth,"  the  intruder  began,  "  to 
cut  short  the  career  of  one  so  young  as  you  are, 
and  one  who  gives  promise  of  becoming  a  notable 
captain." 

"  What  have  you  seen  of  me,"  inquired  Wilhelm, 
"  that  leads  you  to  suppose  I  have  the  qualities  of  a 
capable  officer  in  me  ?  " 

The  other  did  not  reply  for  a  moment  or  two  ;  then 
he  said  slowly  : 

"  I  do  not  say  that  I  have  seen  anything  to  justify 
such  a  conclusion,  but  I  have  heard  of  your  action  in 
the  Wahlzimmer,  and  by  the  account  given,  I  judge 
you  to  be  a  young  man  of  resource." 

"  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  the  good  opinion  you 
express.  It  is  quite  in  your  power  to  set  me  free,  and 
then  the  qualities  you  are  kind  enough  to  commend, 
may  have  an  opportunity  for  development." 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  137 

"  Alas  !  "  said  the  visitor,  "  it  is  not  in  my  power  to 
release  you  ;  that  lies  entirely  with  yourself." 

"You  bring  comforting  news.     What  is  the  price?" 

"  You  are  asked  to  become  a  member  of  the  Fehm- 
gerichte." 

"  I  should  suppose  that  to  be  easily  accomplished,  as 
I  am  now  a  partaker  of  its  hospitality.  What  else  ?  " 

"  The  remaining  proviso  is  that  you  take  service  with 
his  lordship,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  and  swear 
entire  allegiance  to  him." 

"  I  am  already  in  the  service  of  the  Emperor." 

"  It  has  just  been  proven  that  you  are  not." 

"  How  could  the  Archbishop  expect  faithful  service 
from  me,  if  I  prove  traitor  to  the  one  I  deem  my 
master  ?  " 

"  The  Archbishop  will  probably  be  content  to  take 
the  risk  of  that." 

"  Are  you  commissioned  to  speak  for  the  Arch- 
bishop ?  " 

"lam." 

"  Are  you  one  of  the  Archbishop's  men  ?  " 

"  My  disposition  towards  him  is  friendly  ;  I  cannot 
say  that  I  am  one  of  his  men." 

"  Granting,  then,  that  I  took  service  with  the  Arch- 
bishop to  save  my  life,  what  would  he  expect  me  to 
do?" 

"  To  obey  him  in  all  things." 

"  Ah,  be  more  explicit,  as  the  examiner  said.  I  am  not 
a  man  to  enter  into  a  bargain  blindly.  I  must  know 
exactly  what  is  required  of  me." 

"  It  is  probable  that  your  first  order  would  be  to 
march  your  army  from  Frankfort  to  Treves.  Would 
the  men  follow  you,  do  you  think  ?• " 

"  Undoubtedly.     The  men   will    follow   wherever  I 


138  THE  STRONG  ARM 

choose  to  lead  them.  Another  question.  What  be- 
comes of  the  Emperor  in  case  I  make  this  bargain  ?  " 

"  That  question^  it  is  impossible  at  the  present 
moment,  to  answer.  The  Court  of  the  Holy  Fehm  is 
now  awaiting  my  return,  and  when  I  take  my  place  on 
the  bench  the  Emperor  will  be  called  upon  to  answer 
for  his  neglect  of  duty." 

"  Nevertheless  you  may  hazard  a  guess  regarding  his 
fate." 

"  I  hazard  this  guess  then,  that  his  fate  will  depend 
largely  upon  himself,  just  as  your  fate  depends  upon 
yourself." 

"  I  must  see  clearly  where  I  am  going,  therefore  I 
request  you  to  be  more  explicit.  What  will  the  Court 
demand  of  the  Emperor  that  he  may  save  his  life  ?  " 

"  You  are  questioning  me  touching  the  action  of 
others  ;  therefore,  all  I  can  do  is  merely  to  surmise.  My 
supposition  is  that  if  the  Emperor  promises  to  abdicate 
he  will  be  permitted  to  pass  unscathed  from  the  halls 
of  the  Fehmgerichte." 

"And  should  he  refuse?" 

"  Sir,  I  am  already  at  the  end  of  my  patience  through 
your  numerous  questions,"  and  as  the  voice  rose  in 
something  approaching  anger,  Wilhelm  seemed  to 
recognise  its  ring.  "  I  came  here,  not  to  answer  your 
questions,  but  to  have  you  answer  mine.  What  is  your 
decision?" 

"  My  decision  is  that  you  are  a  confessed  traitor ;  die 
the  death  of  such  !  " 

Wilhelm  sprang  forward  and  buried  the  dagger  of 
the  Fehmgerichte  into  the  heart  of  the  man  before 
him.  His  action  was  so  unexpected  that  the  victim 
could  make  no  motion  to  defend  himself.  So  truly 
was  the  fierce  blow  dealt  that  the  doomed  man,  with- 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  139 

out  a  cry  or  even  a  groan,  sank  in  his  death  collapse  at 
the  young  man's  feet  in  a  heap  on  the  floor. 

Wilhelm,  who  thought  little  of  taking  any  man's  life 
in  a  fair  fight,  shuddered  as  he  gazed  at  the  helpless 
bundle  at  his  feet ;  a  moment  before,  this  uncouth  heap 
stood  erect,  a  man  like  himself,  conversing  with  him, 
then  the  swift  blow  and  the  resulting  huddle  of  clay. 

"  Oh,  God  above  me,  Over-lord  of  all,  I  struck  for  my 
King,  yet  I  feel  myself  an  assassin.  If  I  am,  indeed, 
a  murderer  in  Thy  sight,  wither  me  where  I  stand,  and 
crush  me  to  the  ground,  companion  to  this  dead  body." 

For  a  few  moments  Wilhelm  stood  rigid,  his  face 
uplifted,  listening  to  the  pulsations  in  his  own  throat 
and  the  strident  beatings  of  his  own  heart.  No  bolt 
from  heaven  came  to  answer  his  supplication.  Stoop- 
ing, he,  with  some  difficulty,  drew  the  poniard  from 
its  resting-place.  The  malignant  ingenuity  of  its  con- 
struction had  caused  its  needle  point  to  penetrate  the 
chain  armour,  while  its  keen  double  edge  cut  link  after 
link  of  the  hard  steel  as  it  sunk  into  the  victim's  breast. 
The  severed  ends  of  the  links  now  clutched  the  blade 
as  if  to  prevent  its  removal.  Not  a  drop  of  blood  fol- 
lowed its  exit,  although  it  had  passed  directly  through 
the  citadel  of  life  itself.  Again  concealing  the  weapon 
within  his  doublet,  a  sudden  realisation  of  the  necessity 
for  speed  overcame  the  assaulter.  He  saw  before  him 
a  means  of  escape.  He  had  but  to  don  the  all-conceal- 
ing cloak  and  walk  out  of  this  subterranean  charnel 
house  by  the  way  he  had  entered  it,  if  he  could  but 
find  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  down  which  they  had  carried 
him.  Straightening  out  the  body  he  pulled  the  cloak 
free  from  it,  thus  exposing  the  face  to  the  yellow  light 
of  the  lantern.  His  heart  stood  still  as  he  saw  that 
the  man  he  had  killed  was  no  other  than  that  exalted 


THE  STRONG  ARM 

Prince  of  the  Church,  the  venerable  Archbishop  of 
Treves.  He  drew  the  body  to  the  pallet  of  straw  in 
the  corner  of  the  cell,  and  there,  lying  on  its  face,  he 
left  it.  A  moment  later  he  was  costumed  as  a  high 
priest  of  the  order  of  the  Fehmgerichte.  Taking  the 
lantern  in  his  hand  he  paused  before  the  closed  door. 
He  could  not  remember  whether  or  not  he  had  heard 
the  bolts  shot  after  the  Archbishop  had  entered.  Con- 
ning rapidly  in  his  mind  the  startling  change  in  the 
situation,  he  stood  there  until  he  had  recovered  com- 
mand of  himself,  resolved  that  if  possible  no  mistake 
on  his  part  should  now  mar  his  chances  of  escape,  and 
in  this  there  was  no  thought  of  saving  his  own  life,  but 
merely  a  determination  to  get  once  more  into  the 
streets  of  Frankfort,  rally  his  men,  penetrate  into  these 
subterranean  regions,  and  rescue  the  Emperor  alive. 
He  pushed  with  all  his  might  against  the  door,  and  to 
his  great  relief  the  heavy  barrier  swung  slowly  round 
on  its  hinges.  Once  outside  he  pushed  it  shut  again, 
and  was  startled  by  two  guards  springing  to  his  assist- 
ance, one  of  them  saying  : 

"  Shall  we  thrust  in  the  bolts,  my  Lord  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Wilhelm  in  the  low  tone  which  all, 
costumed  as  he  was,  had  used.  He  turned  away  but 
was  dismayed  to  find  before  him  two  brethren  of  the 
order  arrayed  in  like  manner  to  himself,  who  had  evi- 
dently been  waiting  for  him. 

"  What  is  the  result  of  the  conference  ?  Does  he 
consent  ?  " 

Rapidly  Wilhelm  had  to  readjust  events  in  his  own 
mind  to  meet  this  unexpected  emergency. 

"  No,"  he  replied  slowly,  "  he  does  not  consent,  at 
least,  not  just  at  the  moment.  He  has  some  scruples 
regarding  his  loyalty  to  the  Emperor." 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  141 

"  Those  scruples  will  be  speedily  removed  then,  when 
we  remove  his  Majesty.  The  other  members  of  the 
Court  are  but  now  awaiting  us  in  the  Judgment  Cham- 
ber. Let  us  hasten  there,  and  make  a  quick  disposal 
of  the  Emperor." 

Wilhelm  saw  that  there  was  no  possibility  of  retreat. 
Any  attempt  at  flight  would  cause  instant  alarm  and 
the  closing  of  the  exits,  then  both  the  Emperor  and 
himself  would  be  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap,  yet  there 
was  almost  equal  danger  in  entering  the  Council  Cham- 
ber. He  had  not  the  remotest  idea  which  seat  at  the 
table  he  should  occupy,  and  he  knew  that  a  mistake  in 
placing  himself  would  probably  lead  to  discovery.  He 
lagged  behind,  but  the  others  persistently  gave  him 
precedence,  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  they  knew 
the  real  quality  of  the  man  they  supposed  him  to  be. 
He  surmised  that  his  seat  was  probably  that  of  the 
Freigraf  in  the  centre,  but  on  crossing  the  threshold 
past  the  saluting  guards,  he  saw  that  the  Freigraf 
occupied  the  elevated  seat,  having  at  his  left  three 
Freischoffen,  while  the  remaining  seats  at  his  right 
were  unoccupied.  It  was  a  space  of  extreme  anxiety 
when  his  two  companions  stopped  to  allow  him  to  go 
first.  He  dared  not  take  the  risk  of  placing  himself 
wrongly  at  the  board.  There  was  scant  time  for  con- 
sideration, and  Wilhelm  speedily  came  to  a  decision. 
It  was  merely  one  risk  to  take  where  several  were  pre- 
sented, and  he  chose  that  which  seemed  to  be  the 
safest.  Leaning  towards  his  companions  he  said 
quietly  : 

"  I  beg  of  you,  be  seated.  I  have  a  few  words  to 
address  to  the  Holy  Court." 

The  two  inclined  their  heads  in  return,  and  one  of 
them  in  passing  him  murmured  the  scriptural  words, 


142  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  The  first  shall  be  last,"  which  remark  still  further 
assisted  in  reversing  Wilhelm's  former  opinion  and 
convinced  him  that  the  identity  of  the  Archbishop  was 
known  to  them.  When  they  were  seated,  the  chair 
at  the  extreme  right  was  the  only  one  vacant,  and 
Wilhelm  breathed  easier,  having  nothing  further  to 
fear  from  that  source,  if  he  could  but  come  forth 
scatheless  from  his  speech. 

"  I  have  to  acquaint  the  Court  of  the  Holy  Fehm," 
he  said,  speaking  audibly,  but  no  more,  "  that  my  mis- 
sion to  the  cell  of  the  prisoner  who  has  just  left  us, 
resulted  partly  in  failure  and  partly  in  success.  The 
young  man  has  some  hesitation  in  placing  himself  in 
open  opposition  to  the  Emperor.  I  therefore  suggest 
that  we  go  on  with  our  deliberations,  leaving  the  final 
decision  of  his  case  until  a  later  period." 

To  this  the  Court  unanimously  murmured  the  word : 
"  Agreed,"  and  Wilhelm  took  his  place  at  the  table. 

"  Bring  in  prisoner  No.  13,"  said  the  Freigraf,  and 
a  few  moments  later  the  Emperor  of  Germany  stood 
before  the  table. 

He  regarded  the  dread  tribunal  with  a  glance  of 
haughty  scorn  while  countenance  and  demeanour  ex- 
hibited a  dignity  which  Wilhelm  had  fancied  was  lack- 
ing during  their  interview  in  the  cell. 

The  examiner  rose  to  his  feet  and  in  the  same  suave 
tones  he  had  used  in  questioning  Wilhelm,  propounded 
the  usual  formal  interrogatory  regarding  name  and 
quality.  When  he  was  asked  : 

"  Are  you  a  member  of  the  Holy  Order  of  the  Fehm- 
gerichte  ?  "  the  Emperor's  reply  seemed  to  cause  some 
consternation  among  the  judges. 

"  I  am  not  only  a  member  of  the  Fehmgerichte,  but 
by  its  constitution,  I  am  the  head  of  it,  and  I  warn 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  143 

you  that  any  action  taken  by  this  Court  without  my 
sanction,  is,  by  the  statutes  of  the  order,  illegal." 

The  examiner  paused  in  his  questioning  apparently 
taken  aback  by  this  assertion,  and  looked  towards  the 
Freigraf  as  if  awaiting  a  decision  before  proceeding 
further. 

"  We  acknowledge  freely,"  said  the  Freigraf,  "  that 
you  are  the  figure-head  of  the  order,  and  that  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  a  change  of  constitution  your 
consent  would  probably  be  necessary,  but  stretching 
your  authority  to  its  utmost  limit,  it  does  not  reach  to 
the  Courts  of  the  Holy  Fehm,  which  have  before  now 
sat  in  judgment  on  the  highest  in  the  land.  For  more 
than  a  century  the  position  of  the  Emperor  as  head  of 
the  Fehmgerichte  has  been  purely  nominal,  and  I 
know  of  no  precedent  where  the  ruler  of  the  land  has 
interfered  with  the  proceedings  of  the  secret  Court. 
We  avow  allegiance  to  the  actual  head  of  the  order, 
who  is  the  Duke  of  Westphalia." 

"  Is  the  Duke  of  Westphalia  here  present  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  question  improper  for  you  to  ask." 

"  If  the  Duke  of  Westphalia  is  one  of  the  members 
of  this  Court,  I  command  him  by  the  oath  which  he 
took  at  his  installation,  to  descend  from  his  place  and 
render  his  seat  to  me,  the  head  of  this  order." 

"  The  nominal  head,"  corrected  the  Freigraf. 

"  The  actual  head,"  persisted  the  prisoner.  "  The 
position  remained  nominal  only  because  the  various 
occupants  did  not  choose  to  exercise  the  authority 
vested  in  them.  It  is  my  pleasure  to  resume  the  func- 
tion which  has  too  long  remained  in  abeyance,  thus  al- 
lowing inferior  officers  to  pretend  to  a  power  which  is 
practical  usurpation,  and  which,  according  to  the  con- 
stitution of  our  order,  is  not  to  be  tolerated.  Disobey 


144  THE  STRONG  ARM 

at  your  peril.  I  ask  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  Duke 
of  Westphalia,  as  the  one,  high  vassal  of  the  Empire, 
as  the  other,  my  subordinate  in  the  Fehmgerichte,  to 
stand  forth  and  salute  his  chief." 

Wilhelm's  heart  beat  rapidly  underneath  his  black 
cloak  as  he  saw  this  spectacle  of  helpless  prisoner  defy- 
ing a  power,  which,  in  its  sphere  of  action,  was  almost 
omnipotent.  It  was  manifest  that  the  Emperor's 
trenchant  sentences  had  disturbed  more  than  one  mem- 
ber of  the  convention,  and  even  the  Freigraf  glanced  in 
perplexity  towards  the  supposed  Archbishop  of  Treves 
as  if  for  a  hint  anent  the  answer  that  should  be  given. 
As  if  in  response  to  the  silent  appeal,  Wilhelm  rose 
slowly  to  his  feet,  while  the  examiner  seated  himself. 

"  It  is  my  privilege,"  he  began,  "  on  behalf  of  my 
fellow  members,  to  inform  the  prisoner  that  the  Court 
of  the  Holy  Fehm  has  ever  based  its  action  on  the 
broad  principles  of  eternal  justice." 

A  sarcastic  smile  wreathed  the  lips  of  the  Emperor 
at  this.  Wilhelm  went  on  unheeding. 

"A  point  of  law  has  been  raised  by  the  prisoner, 
which,  I  think,  at  least  merits  our  earnest  considera- 
tion, having  regard  for  the  future  welfare  of  this  organ- 
isation, and  being  anxious  not  to  allow  any  precedent 
to  creep  in,  which  may  work  to  the  disadvantage  of 
those  who  follow  us.  In  order  that  our  deliberations 
may  have  that  calm  impartiality  which  has  ever  dis- 
tinguished them,  I  ask  unanimous  consent  to  my  sug- 
gestion that  the  prisoner  be  taken  back  to  his  cell  until 
we  come  to  a  decision  regarding  the  matter  in  dispute." 

This  proposition  being  agreed  to  without  a  dissent- 
ing voice,  the  prisoner  was  removed  from  the  room  and 
the  eyes  of  all  the  judges  were  turned  towards  Wil- 
helm. The  Freigraf  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  145 

"  Although  I  have  agreed  to  the  removal  of  the  pris- 
oner," he  said,  "  yet  I  see  not  the  use  of  wasting  so 
many  words  on  him.  While  there  is  undoubted  wisdom 
in  winning  to  our  side  the  man  who  controls  the  army, 
there  seems  to  me  little  to  gain  in  prolonging  discussion 
with  the  Emperor,  who  is  a  nonentity  at  best,  and  has 
no  following.  The  path  to  the  throne  must  be  cleared, 
and  there  is  but  one  way  of  doing  it." 

"  Two,  I  think,"  murmured  Wilhelm. 

"  What  other  than  by  this  prisoner's  death  ?  " 

"  His  abdication  would  suffice." 

"  But,  as  you  know,  he  has  already  refused  to  abdi- 
cate." 

"  Ah,  that  was  before  he  saw  the  executioner  stand- 
ing here.  I  think  he  is  now  in  a  condition  to  recon- 
sider his  determination.  Thus  we  will  avoid  discussion 
of  the  knotty  points  which  he  raised,  and  which  I,  for 
one,  would  prefer  to  see  remain  where  they  are.  The 
moment  he  consents  to  abdicate,  the  commander  of  the 
forces  is  willing  to  swear  allegiance  to  us.  It  must  not 
be  forgotten  that  even  if  we  execute  these  two  men  we 
have  still  the  troops  who  hold  the  city  of  Frankfort  to 
reckon  with,  and  although  their  leader  may  have  dis- 
appeared, the  young  man  has  some  sturdy  lieutenants 
who  will  give  us  trouble." 

"  What  do  you  propose?  "  asked  the  Freigraf. 

"If  the  colleague  at  my  left  will  accompany  me,  we 
will  visit  the  prisoner  and  may  have  some  proposals  to 
submit  to  you  on  our  return." 

This  being  acceded  to,  the  two  left  the  Judg- 
ment Chamber  and  proceeded  slowly  to  the  cell  of 
No.  13.  On  the  way  thither  Wilhelm  said  to  his  com- 
panion : 

"  As  the  prisoner  may  be  on  his  guard  if  we  enter 

10 


146  THE  STRONG  ARM 

together,  I  prefer  to  sound  him  first  alone,  and  at  the 
proper  moment,  if  you  stay  outside  the  door  of  the 
cell,  I  shall  summon  you  to  enter." 

This  meeting  the  sanction  of  Wilhelm's  companion, 
the  young  man  entered  the  cell  alone,  carefully  closing 
the  door  behind  him. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  he  whispered,  "  the  situation  is  ex- 
tremely critical,  and  I  entreat  you  to  maintain  silence 
while  I  make  explanation  to  you.  I  am  Wilhelm,  the 
loyal  commander  of  the  Imperial  forces,  your  Majesty's 
most  devoted  servant." 

"  Are  you  then,"  said  the  amazed  monarch,  "  also  a 
member  of  the  Fehmgerichte  ?  I  thought  you  came 
here  as  a  prisoner,  and,  like  myself,  a  victim." 

Wilhelm  drew  off  over  his  head  the  cloak  which  en- 
veloped him,  leaving  his  limbs  free,  standing  thus  in 
his  own  proper  person  before  the  Emperor. 

"  I  was,  indeed,  a  prisoner,  and  was  visited  in  my 
cell  by  the  Archbishop  of  Treves.  It  was  in  his  robe 
that  I  emerged  from  my  cell  undetected,  hoping  to 
escape  and  bring  rescue  to  your  Majesty,  but  other 
brethren  were  awaiting  me  outside,  and  I  found  myself 
compelled  to  sit  in  the  Court  before  which  you  made 
such  an  able  defence." 

"  It  was  you,  then,  who  proposed  that  I  should  be 
taken  back  to  my  cell  ?" 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty.  And  now  a  colleague  remains 
outside  this  door,  who  waits,  expecting  a  summons  to 
enter,  but  first  I  came  to  give  warning  to  your  Majesty 
that  you  may  make  no  outcry,  if  you  should  see  what 
appears  to  be  two  brothers  of  the  order  struggling 
together." 

"  I  shall  keep  strict  silence.  Is  the  Archbishop  of 
Treves  then  a  prisoner  in  your  cell?  " 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  147 

"  He  is,  I  assure  you,  a  fast  prisoner." 

"  You  propose  that  I  should  don  the  cloak  of  the 
incomer,  and  that  thus  we  make  our  escape  together. 
We  must  be  in  haste,  then,  for  if  the  Archbishop  re- 
leases himself  from  his  bonds,  he  may  produce  such  an 
uproar  in  his  cell  that  suspicion  will  be  aroused." 

"  The  bonds  in  which  I  left  the  Archbishop  of 
Treves  will  hold  him  firm  until  we  are  outside  this  nest 
of  vipers.  And  now,  your  Majesty,  I  beg  you  to  put 
on  this  cloak  which  I  have  been  wearing,  which  will 
leave  me  free  speedily  to  overpower  our  visitor." 

The  Emperor  arrayed  himself  and  stood,  as  he  was 
fully  entitled  to  do,  a  fully  costumed  member  of  the 
Fehmgerichte.  Wilhelm  opened  the  door  and  said 
softly : 

"  Enter,  brother,  that  I  may  learn  if  the  arrange- 
ments just  made  are  confirmed  by  your  wisdom." 

The  light  within  had  been  placed  at  the  further  end 
of  the  cell,  and  the  visitor's  own  lantern  gave  but  scant 
illumination.  The  moment  the  door  was  firmly  closed 
Wilhelm  sprang  upon  him  and  bore  him  to  the  ground. 
If  the  assaulted  man  attempted  to  make  any  sound,  it 
was  muffled  by  the  folds  of  his  own  cloak.  A  moment 
later,  however,  Wilhelm  got  a  firm  grip  on  his  bare 
throat,  and  holding  him  thus,  pulled  away  his  disguise 
from  him,  revealing  the  pallid  face  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Mayence.  The  young  man  plucked  the  dagger  from 
the  inside  of  his  doublet  and  placed  it  at  the  breast  of 
the  prostrate  man. 

"  If  you  make  the  slightest  sound,"  he  whispered,  "  I 
shall  bury  this  dagger  in  your  heart.  It  is  the  weapon 
of  the  Fehmgerichte  and  you  know  it  will  penetrate 
chain  armour." 

It  was   evident   that   the   stricken  Archbishop  was 


148  THE  STRONG  ARM 

much  too  frightened  to  do  anything  to  help  himself, 
and  Wilhelm  unbuckling  his  own  empty  sword-belt, 
proceeded  to  tie  his  trembling  limbs.  The  Emperor 
whispered : 

"  The  cords  which  bound  me  are  still  here,  as  well  as 
the  gag  which  silenced  me." 

Wilhelm  put  those  instruments  of  tyranny  to  imme- 
diate use,  and  shortly  the  Archbishop  was  a  helpless 
silent  heap  in  the  further  corner  of  the  room.  Wilhelm 
and  the  Emperor  each,  with  a  lantern,  and  each  indis- 
tinguishable from  other  members  of  the  secret  organisa- 
tion, pushed  open  the  door  and  emerged  from  the  cell. 
Closing  the  door  again,  Wilhelm  said  to  the  guard : 

"  Bolt  this  portal  firmly  and  allow  no  one  to  enter 
who  does  not  give  you  this  password." 

The  young  man  stooped  and  whispered  into  the  ear 
of  the  guard  the  word  "  Elsa."  The  two  fugitives  then 
walked  slowly  along  the  great  hall,  the  young  man 
peering  anxiously  to  his  right  for  any  sign  of  the  stair- 
way by  which  he  had  descended.  They  passed  nu- 
merous doors,  all  closed,  and  at  last  Wilhelm  began  to 
wonder  if  one  of  these  covered  the  exit  which  he 
sought.  Finally  they  came  to  the  end  of  the  large 
hall  without  seeing  trace  of  any  outlet,  and  Wilhelm 
became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  getting  free  from  this 
labyrinth  was  like  to  prove  more  difficult  than  the  en- 
tering had  been.  Standing  puzzled,  not  knowing  where 
next  to  turn,  aware  that  precious  time  was  being  wasted 
fruitlessly,  Wilhelm  saw  a  man  masked  and  accoutred 
as  a  guard  approach  them. 

"  Is  there  anything  in  which  I  can  pleasure  your 
Lordships  ?  "  he  asked  deferentially. 

"  Yes,"  said  Wilhelm,  "  we  desire  to  have  a  breath 
of  fresh  air;  where  is  the  exit?" 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  149 

"  If  your  Lordship  has  the  password,  you  may  go 
out  by  the  entrance  in  the  city.  If  you  have  not  the 
word,  then  must  you  use  the  exit  without  the  wall, 
which  is  a  long  walk  from  here." 

"  That  does  not  matter,"  replied  Wilhelm,  "  it  is  the 
country  air  we  wish  to  breathe." 

"  I  cannot  leave  my  post,  but  I  shall  get  one  who 
will  guide  you." 

So  saying,  the  man  left  them  for  several  anxious 
minutes,  going  into  a  room  that  apparently  was  used 
as  guard-house,  and  reappearing  with  a  man  who 
rubbed  his  eyes  sleepily,  as  if  newly  awakened.  Then 
the  first  guard  drew  bolts  from  a  stout  door  and  pulled 
it  open,  revealing  a  dark  chasm  like  the  entrance  to  a 
cell.  Both  Wilhelm  and  the  Emperor  viewed  this 
black  enigma  with  deep  suspicion,  but  their  guide 
with  his  lantern  plunged  into  it  and  they  followed, 
after  which  the  door  was  closed  and  barred  behind 
them. 

It  was,  indeed,  as  the  first  man  had  said,  a  long  walk, 
as  Wilhelm  knew  it  must  be  if  it  extended  under  the 
western  gate  and  out  into  the  country.  The  passage 
was  so  narrow  that  two  could  not  walk  abreast,  and 
frequently  the  arched  ceiling  was  so  low  that  the  guide 
ahead  warned  them  to  stoop  as  they  came  on.  At  last 
he  reached  the  foot  of  a  stairway,  and  was  about  to 
mount  when  Wilhelm  said  to  him  : 

"  Stand  here  till  we  return.  Allow  no  one  to  pass 
who  does  not  give  you  this  word,"  and  again  he  whis- 
pered the  word  "  Elsa  "  in  the  man's  ear. 

To  the  dismay  of  Wilhelm,  the  Emperor  addressed 
the  guard  : 

"  Are  there  many  prisoners  within  ?  " 

"  There  are  two  only,"  replied  the  man,  "  numbers 


150  THE  STRONG  ARM 

13  and  14.  I  helped  to  carry  No.  14  down  the  stair, 
and  am  glad  his  sword  broke  beneath  him  as  he  fell, 
for,  indeed,  we  had  trouble  enough  with  him  as  it  was." 

Here  Wilhelm  took  the  liberty  of  touching  the  Em- 
peror on  the  arm  as  if  to  warn  him  that  such  discourse 
was  untimely  and  dangerous.  With  beating  heart  the 
young  man  led  the  way  up  the  stairs,  and  at  the  top 
of  the  second  flight,  came  into  what  seemed  to  be  the 
vestibule  of  a  house,  in  which,  on  benches  round  the 
wall,  there  sat  four  men  seemingly  on  guard,  who 
immediately  sprang  to  their  feet  when  they  saw  the 
ghostly  apparitions  before  them. 

"  Unbar  the  door,"  said  Wilhelm,  quietly,  in  the 
tone  of  one  whose  authority  is  not  to  be  disputed. 
"  Close  it  after  us  and  allow  none  to  enter  or  emerge 
who  does  not  give  you  the  word  "  Elsa." 

This  command  was  so  promptly  obeyed  that  Wilhelm 
could  scarcely  believe  they  had  won  so  easily  to  the 
outer  air.  The  house  stood  alone  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  at  the  end  of  a  long  garden  which  extended  to 
the  road.  Facing  the  thoroughfare  and  partly  conceal- 
ing the  house  from  any  chance  straggler  was  a  low 
building  which  Wilhelm  remembered  was  used  as  a 
wayside  drinking-place,  in  which  wine,  mostly  of  a 
poor  quality,  was  served  to  thirsty  travellers.  The  gate 
to  the  street  appeared  deserted,  but  as  the  two  ap- 
proached by  the  walk  leading  from  the  house,  a  guard 
stood  out  from  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  scrutinised  for 
a  moment  their  appearance,  then  saluting,  held  the  gate 
open  for  them. 

Once  on  the  road,  the  two  turned  towards  the  city, 
whose  black  wall  barred  their  way  some  distance  ahead, 
and  whose  towers  and  spires  stood  out  dimly  against 
the  starlit  sky.  A  great  silence,  broken  only  by  the 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  151 

soothing  murmur  of  the  river,  lay  on  the  landscape. 
Wilhelm  cast  a  glance  aloft  at  the  star-sprinkled  dome 
of  heaven,  and  said  : 

"  I  judge  it  to  be  about  an  hour  after  midnight." 

"It  may  be  so,"  answered  the  Emperor,  "  I  have 
lost  all  count  of  time." 

"  Has  your  Majesty  been  long  in  prison  ?  " 

"  That  I  do  not  know.  I  may  have  lain  there  two 
days  or  a  dozen.  I  had  no  means  of  measuring  the 
length  of  my  imprisonment." 

"  May  I  ask  your  Majesty  in  what  manner  you  were 
lured  into  the  halls  of  the  Fehmgerichte  ?  " 

"  It  was  no  lure.  While  I  lay  asleep  at  night  in  the 
cloisters  by  the  Cathedral  I  was  bound  and  gagged, 
carried  through  the  dark  streets  helpless  on  a  litter 
and  finally  flung  into  the  cell  in  which  you  found  me." 

"  May  I  further  inquire  what  your  Majesty's  inten- 
tions are  regarding  the  fulfilment  of  the  duties  imposed 
upon  you  by  your  high  office  ?  " 

There  was  a  long  pause  before  the  Emperor  replied, 
then  he  said  : 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Because,  your  Majesty,  I  have  on  several  occasions 
imperilled  my  life  for  an  Emperor  who  does  not  rule, 
who  has  refused  even  to  sign  my  commission  as  officer 
of  his  troops." 

"  Your  commission  was  never  sent  to  me." 

"  I  beg  your  Majesty's  pardon,  but  it  was  sent  three 
times  to  you  in  the  cloisters  of  the  Cathedral,  and  re- 
turned three  times  unsigned." 

"  Then  it  is  as  I  suspected,"  returned  the  Emperor, 
"  the  monks  must  have  connived  at  my  capture.  I 
have  pleasure  in  confirming  your  appointment.  I  am 
sure  that  the  command  could  not  be  in  more  capable 


152  THE  STRONG  ARM 

hands.  And  in  further  reply  to  your  question,  if  God 
permits  me  to  see  the  light  of  day,  I  shall  be  an  em- 
peror who  rules." 

"  It  delights  my  heart  to  hear  you  say  so.  And  now 
I  ask,  as  a  favour,  that  you  allow  me  to  deal  untram- 
melled with  the  Fehmgerichte." 

"  I  grant  that  most  willingly." 

By  this  time  they  were  almost  under  the  shadow  of 
the  great  wall  of  the  city,  and  Wilhelm,  stopping,  said 
to  the  Emperor : 

"  I  think  it  well  that  we  now  divest  ourselves  of  these 
disguises." 

They  had  scarcely  thrown  their  cloaks  behind  the 
bushes  at  the  side  of  the  road  when  they  were  accosted 
by  the  guard  at  the  top  of  the  wall. 

"  Halt !     Who  approaches  the  gate  ?  " 

Wilhelm  strode  forward. 

"  Is  Gottlieb  at  the  guard-house  or  at  the  barracks?" 
he  asked. 

"  He  is  at  the  guardJiouse,"  replied  the  sentinel, 
recognising  the  questioner. 

"  Then  arouse  him  immediately,  and  open  the  gates." 

"  Gottlieb,"  said  Wilhelm,  when  once  within  the 
walls,  "  take  a  score  of  men  with  you  and  surround  the 
first  house  on  the  margin  of  the  river  up  this  street.  I 
shall  accompany  you  so  that  there  may  be  no  mistake. 
Send  another  score  under  a  trusty  leader  to  the  house 
which  stands  alone  outside  of  the  gates  also  on  the 
margin  of  the  stream.  Give  orders  that  the  men  are 
to  seize  any  person  who  attempts  to  enter  or  to  come 
out ;  kill  if  necessary,  but  let  none  escape  you.  Let  a 
dozen  men  escort  me  to  the  Palace." 

Having  seen  the  Emperor  safely  housed  in  the 
Palace,  Wilhelm  returned  quickly  to  the  place  where 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  153 

Gottlieb  and  his  score  held  guard  over  the  town   en- 
trance of  the  cellars  he  had  quitted. 

"  Gottlieb,  are  you  fully  awake  ?  "  asked  Wilhelm. 

"  Oh,  yes,  mastei  ;  awake  and  ready  for  any  emer- 
gency." 

"  Then  send  for  some  of  your  most  stalwart  sappers 
with  tools  to  break  through  a  stone  wall,  and  tell  them 
to  bring  a  piece  of  timber  to  batter  in  this  door." 

When  the  men  arrived  three  blows  from  the  oaken 
log  sent  the  door  shattering  from  its  hinges.  Wilhelm 
sprang  at  once  over  the  prostrate  portal,  but  not  in 
time  to  prevent  the  flight  of  the  guard  down  the  stair- 
way. Calling  the  sappers  to  the  first  landing,  and 
pointing  to  the  stone  wall  on  the  right. : 

"  Break  through  that  for  me,"  he  cried. 

"  Master,"  expostulated  Gottlieb,  "  if  you  break 
through  that  wall  I  warn  you  that  the  river  will  flow 
in." 

"  Such  is  my  intention,  Gottlieb,  and  a  gold  piece  to 
each  man  who  works  as  he  has  never  wrought  before." 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  nothing  heard  but  the 
steady  ring  of  iron  on  stone  as  one  by  one  the  squares 
were  extracted,  the  water  beginning  to  ooze  in  as  the 
energetic  sappers  reached  the  outer  course.  At  last 
the  remaining  stones  gave  way,  carried  in  with  a  rush 
by  the  torrent. 

"  Save  yourselves !  "  cried  Wilhelm,  standing  knee 
deep  in  the  flood  and  not  stepping  out  until  each  man 
had  passed  him.  There  was  a  straining  crash  of  rend- 
ing timber,  and  Gottlieb,  dashing  down,  seized  his 
master  by  the  arm,  crying  : 

"  My  Lord,  my  Lord,  the  house  is  about  to  fall!  " 

With  slight  loss  of  time  commander  and  lieutenant 
stood  together  in  the  street  and  found  that  the  latter's 


154  THE  STRONG  ARM 

panic  was  unwarranted,  for  the  house,  although  it 
trembled  dangerously  and  leaned  perceptibly  toward 
the  river,  was  stoutly  built  of  hewn  stone.  Grey  day- 
light now  began  to  spread  over  the  city,  but  still 
Wilhelm  stood  there  listening  to  the  inrush  of  the 
water. 

"  By  the  great  wine  tub  of  Hundsriick  !  "  exclaimed 
Gottlieb  in  amazement,  "  that  cellar  is  a  large  one.  It 
seems  to  thirst  for  the  whole  flood  of  the  Main." 

"  Send  a  messenger,"  cried  Wilhelm,  "  to  the  house 
you  are  guarding  outside  the  gates  and  discover*  for  me 
whether  your  men  have  captured  any  prisoners." 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  the  messenger  returned, 
and  the  torrent  down  the  stair  had  become  a  rippling 
surface  of  water  at  the  level  of  the  river,  showing  that 
all  the  cavern  beneath  was  flooded. 

"  Well,  messenger,  what  is  your  report  ?  "  demanded 
his  commander. 

"  My  Lord,  the  officer  in  charge  says  that  a  short  time 
ago  the  door  of  the  house  was  blown  open  as  if  by  a 
strong  wind  ;  four  men  rushed  out  and  another  was 
captured  in  the  garden  ;  all  were  pinioned  and  gagged, 
as  you  commanded." 

"  Are  the  prisoners  men  of  quality  or  common  sol- 
diers?" 

"  Common  soldiers,  my  Lord." 

"  Very  well ;  let  them  be  taken  to  the  prison.  I  will 
visit  them  later  in  the  day." 

As  Wilhelm,  thoroughly  fatigued  after  a  night  so 
exciting,  walked  the  streets  of  Frankfort  toward  his 
home  the  bells  of  the  city  suddenly  began  to  ring  a 
merry  peal,  and,  as  if  Frankfort  had  become  awakened 
by  the  musical  clangor,  windows  were  raised  and  doors 
opened,  while  citizens  inquired  of  each  other  the  mean- 


THE  HOLY  FEHM  155 

ing  of  the  clangor,  a  question  which  no  one  seemed 
prepared  to  answer. 

Reaching  his  own  house,  Wilhelm  found  Elsa  await- 
ing him  with  less  of  anxiety  on  her  face  than  he  ha4 
expected. 

"  Oh,  Wilhelm  !  "  she  cried,  "  what  a  fright  you  gave 
me,  and  not  until  I  knew  where  you  were,  did  any 
peace  come  to  my  heart." 

"You  knew  where  I  was?"  said  Wilhelm  in  amaze- 
ment. "  Where  was  I,  then  ?  " 

"  You  were  with  the  Emperor,  of  course.  That  is 
why  the  bells  are  ringing  ;  the  Emperor  has  returned,  as 
you  know,  and  is  resolved  to  take  his  proper  place  at 
the  head  of  the  state,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  Em- 
press, I  can  assure  you.  But  what  an  anxious  time  we 
spent  until  shortly  after  midnight,  when  the  Emperor 
arrived  and  told  us  you  had  been  with  him." 

"  How  came  you  to  be  at  the  Palace  ?  " 

"  It  happened  in  this  way.  You  had  hardly  left  the 
court  last  night  when  his  lordship  the  Archbishop  of 
Cologne  came  and  seemed  anxious  about  the  welfare  of 
the  Emperor." 

"  The  Archbishop  of  Cologne !  Is  he  still  there  or 
did  he  go  elsewhere?" 

"  He  is  still  there,  and  was  there  when  the  Emperor 
came  in.  Why  do  you  ask  so  eagerly  ?  Is  there  any- 
thing wrong?" 

"  Not  so  far  as  the  Archbishop  is  concerned,  ap- 
parently. He  has  kept  his  word  and  so  there  is  one 
less  high  office  vacant.  Well,  what  did  the  Archbishop 
say  ?  " 

"  He  wished  to  see  you,  and  so  the  Empress  sent 
for  you,  but  search  as  we  would,  you  were  nowhere  to 
be  found.  On  hearing  this  I  became  alarmed  and 


156  THE  STRONG  ARM 

went  at  once  to  the  Palace.  The  Archbishop  seemed 
in  deep  trouble,  but  he  refused  to  tell  the  Empress  the 
cause  of  it,  and  so  increased  our  anxiety.  However, 
all  was  right  when  the  Emperor  came,  and  now  they 
are  ringing  the  bells,  for  he  is  to  appear  before  the 
people  on  the  balcony  of  the  Romer,  as  if  he  were 
newly  crowned.  We  must  make  haste  if  we  are  to 
see  him." 

Wilhelm  escorted  his  wife  to  the  square  before  the 
Romer,  but  so  dense  was  the  cheering  crowd  that  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  force  a  way  through.  They 
were  in  time  to  see  the  Emperor  appear  on  the  balcony, 
and  Wilhelm,  raising  his  sword  aloft,  shouted  louder 
than  any  in  that  throng,  Elsa  herself  waving  a  scarf 
above  her  head  in  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment. 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY 

THE  fifteen  nobles,  who  formed  the  Council  of  State 
for  the  Moselle  Valley,  stood  in  little  groups  in  the 
Rittersaal  of  Winneburg's  Castle,  situated  on  a  hill-top 
in  the  Ender  Valley,  a  league  or  so  from  the  waters  of 
the  Moselle.  The  nobles  spoke  in  low  tones  together, 
for  a  greater  than  they  were  present,  no  other  than 
their  over-lord,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  who,  in  his 
stately  robes  of  office,  paced  up  and  down  the  long 
room,  glancing  now  and  then  through  the  narrow  win- 
dows which  gave  a  view  down  the  Ender  Valley. 

There  was  a  trace  of  impatience  in  his  Lordship's 
bearing,  and  well  there  might  be,  for  here  was  the 
Council  of  State  in  assemblage,  yet  their  chairman 
was  absent,  and  the  nobles  stood  there  helplessly,  like 
a  flock  of  sheep  whose  shepherd  is  missing.  The  chair- 
man was  the  Count  of  Winneburg,  in  whose  castle  they 
were  now  collected,  and  his  lack  of  punctuality  was 
thus  a  double  discourtesy,  for  he  was  host  as  well  as 
president. 

Each  in  turn  had  tried  to  soothe  the  anger  of  the 
Archbishop,  for  all  liked  the  Count  of  Winneburg,  a 
bluff  and  generous-hearted  giant,  who  would  stand  by 
his  friends  against  all  comers,  was  the  quarrel  his  own 
or  no.  In  truth  little  cared  the  stalwart  Count  of 
Winneburg  whose  quarrel  it  was  so  long  as  his  arm  got 
opportunity  of  wielding  a  blow  in  it.  His  Lordship  of 

«57 


158  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Treves  had  not  taken  this  championship  of  the  absent 
man  with  good  grace,  and  now  strode  apart  from  the 
group,  holding  himself  haughtily  ;  muttering,  perhaps 
prayers,  perhaps  something  else. 

When  one  by  one  the  nobles  had  arrived  at  Winne- 
burg's  Castle,  they  were  informed  that  its  master  had 
gone  hunting  that  morning,  saying  he  would  return  in 
time  for  the  mid-day  meal,  but  nothing  had  been  heard 
of  him  since,  although  mounted  messengers  had  been 
sent  forth,  and  the  great  bell  in  the  southern  tower  had 
been  set  ringing  when  the  Archbishop  arrived.  It  was 
the  general  opinion  that  Count  Winneburg,  becoming 
interested  in  the  chase,  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
Council,  for  it  was  well  known  that  the  Count's  body 
was  better  suited  for  athletic  sports  or  warfare  than 
was  his  mind  for  the  consideration  of  questions  of 
State,  and  the  nobles,  themselves  of  similar  calibre, 
probably  liked  him  none  the  less  on  that  account. 

Presently  the  Archbishop  stopped  in  his  walk  and 
faced  the  assemblage.  "  My  Lords,"  he  said,  "  we  have 
already  waited  longer  than  the  utmost  stretch  of  cour- 
tesy demands.  The  esteem  in  which  Count  Winne- 
burg holds  our  deliberations  is  indicated  by  his  inex- 
cusable neglect  of  a  duty  conferred  upon  him  by  you, 
and  voluntarily  accepted  by  him.  I  shall  therefore 
take  my  place  in  his  chair,  and  I  call  upon  you  to  seat 
yourselves  at  the  Council  table." 

Saying  which  the  Archbishop  strode  to  the  vacant 
chair,  and  seated  himself  in  it  at  the  head  of  the  board. 
The  nobles  looked  one  at  the  other  with  some  dismay, 
for  it  was  never  their  intention  that  the  Archbishop 
should  preside  over  their  meeting,  the  object  of  which 
was  rather  to  curb  that  high  prelate's  ambition,  than  to 
confirm  still  further  the  power  he  already  held  over  them. 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  159 

When,  a  year  before,  these  Councils  of  State  had  been 
inaugurated,  the  Archbishop  had  opposed  them,  but, 
finding  that  the  Emperor  was  inclined  to  defer  to  the 
wishes  of  his  nobles,  the  Lord  of  Treves  had  insisted 
upon  his  right  to  be  present  during  the  deliberations, 
and  this  right  the  Emperor  had  conceded.  He  further 
proposed  that  the  meeting  should  be  held  at  his  own 
castle  of  Cochem,  as  being  conveniently  situated  mid- 
way between  Coblentz  and  Treves,  but  to  this  the 
nobles  had,  with  fervent  unanimity,  objected.  Cochem 
Castle,  they  remembered,  possessed  strong  walls  and 
deep  dungeons,  and  they  had  no  desire  to  trust  them- 
selves within  the  lion's  jaws,  having  little  faith  in  his 
Lordship's  benevolent  intentions  towards  them. 

The  Emperor  seemed  favourable  to  the  selection  of 
Cochem  as  a  convenient  place  of  meeting,  and  the 
nobles  were  nonplussed,  because  they  could  not  give 
their  real  reason  for  wishing  to  avoid  it,  and  the  Arch- 
bishop continued  to  press  the  claims  of  Cochem  as 
being  of  equal  advantage  to  all. 

"  It  is  not  as  though  I  asked  them  to  come  to 
Treves,"  said  the  Archbishop,  "  for  that  would  entail  a 
long  journey  upon  those  living  near  the  Rhine,  and  in 
going  to  Cochem  I  shall  myself  be  called  upon  to 
travel  as  far  as  those  who  come  from  Coblentz." 

The  Emperor  said  : 

"  It  seems  a  most  reasonable  selection,  and,  unless 
some  strong  objection  be  urged,  I  shall  confirm  the 
choice  of  Cochem." 

The  nobles  were  all  struck  with  apprehension  at 
these  words,  and  knew  not  what  to  say,  when  suddenly, 
to  their  great  delight,  up  spoke  the  stalwart  Count  of 
Winneburg. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "my  Castle  stands  but  a 


160  THE  STRONG  ARM 

short  league  from  Cochem,  and  has  a  Rittersaal  as 
large  as  that  in  the  pinnacled  palace  owned  by  the 
Archbishop.  It  is  equally  convenient  for  all  concerned, 
and  every  gentleman  is  right  welcome  to  its  hospitality, 
My  cellars  are  well  filled  with  good  wine,  and  my 
larders  are  stocked  with  an  abundance  of  food.  All  that 
can  be  urged  in  favour  of  Cochem  applies  with  equal  truth 
to  the  Schloss  Winneburg.  If,  therefore,  the  members 
of  the  Council  will  accept  of  my  roof,  it  is  theirs." 

The  nobles  with  universal  enthusiasm  cried  : 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  Winneburg  is  the  spot." 

The  Emperor  smiled,  for  he  well  knew  that  his 
Lordship  of  Treves  was  somewhat  miserly  in  the  dis- 
pensing of  his  hospitality.  He  preferred  to  see  his 
guests  drink  the  wine  of  a  poor  vintage  rather  than  tap 
the  cask  which  contained  the  yield  of  a  good  year. 
His  Majesty  smiled,  because  he  imagined  his  nobles 
thought  of  the  replenishing  of  their  stomachs,  whereas 
they  were  concerned  for  the  safety  of  their  necks  ;  but 
seeing  them  unanimous  in  their  choice,  he  nominated 
Schloss  Winneburg  as  the  place  of  meeting,  and  so  it 
remained. 

When,  therefore,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  set  himself 
down  in  the  ample  chair,  to  which  those  present  had, 
without  a  dissenting  vote,  elected  Count  Winneburg, 
distrust  at  once  took  hold  of  them,  for  they  were  ever 
jealous  of  the  encroachments  of  their  over-lord.  The 
Archbishop  glared  angrily  around  him,  but  no  man 
moved  from  where  he  stood. 

"  I  ask  you  to  be  seated.  The  Council  is  called  to 
order." 

Baron  Beilstein  cleared  his  throat  and  spoke,  seem- 
ingly with  some  hesitation,  but  nevertheless  with  a 
touch  of  obstinacy  in  his  voice : 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  161 

"  May  we  beg  a  little  more  time  for  Count  Winne- 
burg  ?  He  has  doubtless  gone  farther  afield  than  he 
intended  when  he  set  out.  I  myself  know  something  of 
the  fascination  of  the  chase,  and  can  easily  understand 
that  it  wipes  out  all  remembrance  of  lesser  things." 

"  Call  you  this  Council  a  lesser  thing  ?  "  demanded 
the  Archbishop.  "  We  have  waited  an  hour  already, 
and  I  shall  not  give  the  laggard  a  moment  more." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  then  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it.  I 
would  not  willingly  be  the  man  who  sits  in  Winne- 
burg's  chair,  should  he  come  suddenly  upon  us." 

"  Is  that  a  threat  ?  "  asked  the  Archbishop,  frowning. 

"  It  is  not  a  threat,  but  rather  a  warning.  I  am  a 
neighbour  of  the  Count,  and  know  him  well,  and  what- 
ever his  virtues  may  be,  calm  patience  is  not  one  of 
them.  If  time  hangs  heavily,  may  I  venture  to  suggest 
that  your  Lordship  remove  the  prohibition  you  pro- 
claimed when  the  Count's  servants  offered  us  wine, 
and  allow  me  to  act  temporarily  as  host,  ordering  the 
flagons  to  be  filled,  which  I  think  will  please  Winne- 
burg  better  when  he  comes,  than  finding  another  in  his 
chair." 

"This  is  no  drunken  revel,  but  a  Council  of  State," 
said  the  Archbishop  sternly ;  "and  I  drink  no  wine 
when  the  host  is  not  here  to  proffer  it." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,"  said  Beilstein,  with  a  shrug  of 
the  shoulders,  "  some  of  us  are  so  thirsty  that  we  care 
not  who  makes  the  offer,  so  long  as  the  wine  be 
sound." 

What  reply  the  Archbishop  would  have  made  can 
only  be  conjectured,  for  at  that  moment  the  door  burst 
open  and  in  came  Count  Winneburg,  a  head  and 
shoulders  above  any  man  in  that  room,  and  huge  in 

proportion. 
ii 


162  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  My  Lords,  my  Lords,"  he  cried,  his  loud  voice 
booming  to  the  rafters,  "  how  can  I  ask  you  to  excuse 
such  a  breach  of  hospitality.  What !  Not  a  single 
rlagon  of  wine  in  the  room  ?  This  makes  my  deep 
regret  almost  unbearable.  Surely,  Beilstein,  you  might 
have  amended  that,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  an  old  and 
constant  comrade.  Truth,  gentlemen,  until  I  heard 
the  bell  of  the  castle  toll,  I  had  no  thought  that  this 
was  the  day  of  our  meeting,  and  then,  to  my  despair, 
I  found  myself  an  hour  away,  and  have  ridden  hard 
to  be  among  you." 

Then,  noticing  there  was  something  ominous  in  the 
air,  and  an  unaccustomed  silence  to  greet  his  words,  he 
looked  from  one  to  the  other,  and  his  eye,  travelling  up 
the  table,  finally  rested  upon  the  Archbishop  in  his 
chair.  Count  Winneburg  drew  himself  up,  his  ruddy 
face  colouring  like  fire.  Then,  before  any  person  could 
reach  out  hand  to  check  him,  or  move  lip  in  counsel,  the 
Count,  with  a  fierce  oath,  strode  to  the  usurper,  grasped 
him  by  the  shoulders,  whirled  his  heels  high  above  his 
head,  and  flung  him  like  a  sack  of  corn  to  the  smooth 
floor,  where  the  unfortunate  Archbishop,  huddled  in  a 
helpless  heap,  slid  along  the  polished  surface  as  if  he 
were  on  ice.  The  fifteen  nobles  stood  stock-still,  ap- 
palled at  this  unexpected  outrage  upon  their  over-lord. 
Winneburg  seated  himself  in  the  chair  with  an  emphasis 
that  made  even  the  solid  table  rattle,  and  bringing 
down  his  huge  fist  crashing  on  the  board  before  him, 
shouted : 

"  Let  no  man  occupy  my  chair,  unless  he  has  weight 
enough  to  remain  there." 

Baron  Beilstein,  and  one  or  two  others,  hurried  to 
the  prostrate  Archbishop  and  assisted  him  to  his  feet. 

"  Count   Winneburg,"  said  Beilstein,  "  you  can  ex- 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  163 

pect  no  sympathy  from  us  for  such  an  act  of  violence 
in  your  own  hall." 

"  I  want  none  of  your  sympathy,"  roared  the  angry 
Count.  "  Bestow  it  on  the  man  now  in  your  hands 
who  needs  it.  If  you  want  the  Archbishop  of  Treves 
to  act  as  your  chairman,  elect  him  to  that  position  and 
welcome.  I  shall  have  no  usurpation  in  my  Castle. 
While  I  am  president  I  sit  in  the  chair,  and  none 
other." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  approval  at  this,  for  one  and 
all  were  deeply  suspicious  of  the  Archbishop's  continued 
encroachments. 

His  Lordship  of  Treves  once  more  on  his  feet,  his 
lips  pallid,  and  his  face  colourless,  looked  with  undis- 
guised hatred  at  his  assailant.  "  Winneburg,"  he  said 
slowly,  "  you  shall  apologise  abjectly  for  this  insult, 
and  that  in  presence  of  the  nobles  of  this  Empire,  or  I 
will  see  to  it  that  not  one  stone  of  this  castle  remains 
upon  another." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Count  nonchalantly,  "  I  shall 
apologise  to  you,  my  Lord,  when  you  have  apologised 
to  me  for  taking  my  place.  As  to  the  castle,  it  is  said 
that  the  devil  assisted  in  the  building  of  it,  and  it  is 
quite  likely  that  through  friendship  for  you,  he  may 
preside  over  its  destruction." 

The  Archbishop  made  no  reply,  but,  bowing  haugh- 
tily to  the  rest  of  the  company,  who  looked  glum  enough, 
well  knowing  that  the  episode  they  had  witnessed 
meant,  in  all  probability,  red  war  let  loose  down  the 
smiling  valley  of  the  Moselle,  left  the  Rittersaal. 

"  Now  that  the  Council  is  duly  convened  in  regular 
order,"  said  Count  Winneburg,  when  the  others  had 
seated  themselves  round  his  table,  "  what  questions  of 
state  come  up  for  discussion  ?  " 


164  THE  STRONG  ARM 

For  a  moment  there  was  no  answer  to  this  query,  the 
delegates  looking  at  one  another  speechless.  But  at 
last  Baron  Beilstein  shrugging  his  shoulder,  said  drily : 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord  Count,  I  think  the  time  for  talk 
is  past,  and  I  suggest  that  we  all  look  closely  to  the 
strengthening  of  our  walls,  which  are  likely  to  be  tested 
before  long  by  the  Lion  of  Treves.  It  was  perhaps 
unwise,  Winneburg,  to  have  used  the  Archbishop  so 
roughly,  he  being  unaccustomed  to  athletic  exercise ; 
but,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they  may,  I,  for  one, 
will  stand  by  you." 

"And  I;  and  I ;  and  I;  and  I,"  cried  the  others, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Knight  of  Ehrenburg,  who, 
living  as  he  did  near  the  town  of  Coblentz,  was  learned 
in  the  law,  and  not  so  ready  as  some  of  his  comrades 
to  speak  first  and  think  afterwards. 

"  My  good  friends,"  cried  their  presiding  officer, 
deeply  moved  by  this  token  of  their  fealty,  "  what  I 
have  done  I  have  done,  be  it  wise  or  the.  reverse,  and 
the  results  must  fall  on  my  head  alone.  No  words  of 
mine  can  remove  the  dust  of  the  floor  from  the  Arch- 
bishop's cloak,  so  if  he  comes,  let  him  come.  I  will 
give  him  as  hearty  a  welcome  as  it  is  in  my  power  to 
render.  All  I  ask  is  fair  play,  and  those  who  stand 
aside  shall  see  a  good  fight.  It  is  not  right  that  a  hasty 
act  of  mine  should  embroil  the  peaceful  country  side, 
so  if  Treves  comes  on  I  shall  meet  him  alone  here  in 
my  castle.  But,  nevertheless,  I  thank  you  all  for  your 
offers  of  help  ;  that  is  all,  except  the  Knight  of  Ehren- 
burg, whose  tender  of  assistance,  if  made,  has  escaped 
my  ear." 

The  Knight  of  Ehrenburg  had,  up  to  that  moment, 
been  studying  the  texture  of  the  oaken  table  on  which 
his  flagon  sat.  Now  he  looked  up  and  spoke  slowly. 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  165 

"  I  made  no  proffer  of  help,"  he  said,  "  because  none 
will"  be  needed,  I  believe,  so  far  as  the  Archbishop  of 
Treves  is  concerned.  The  Count  a  moment  ago  said 
that  all  he  wanted  was  fair  play,  but  that  is  just  what 
he  has  no  right  to  expect  from  his  present  antagonist! 
The  Archbishop  will  make  no  attempt  on  this  castle ; 
he  will  act  much  more  subtly  than  that.  The  Arch- 
bishop will  lay  the  redress  of  his  quarrel  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  Emperor,  and  it  is  the  oncoming  of 
the  Imperial  troops  you  have  to  fear,  and  not  an  inva- 
sion from  Treves.  Against  the  forces  of  the  Emperor 
we  are  powerless,  united  or  divided.  Indeed,  his  Maj- 
esty may  call  upon  us  to  invest  this  castle,  whereupon, 
if  we  refuse,  we  are  rebels  who  have  broken  our  oaths." 

"  What  then  is  there  left  for  me  to  do  ?  "  asked  the 
Count,  dismayed  at  the  coil  in  which  he  had  involved 
himself. 

"  Nothing,"  advised  the  Knight  of  Ehrenburg,  "  ex- 
cept to  apologise  abjectly  to  the  Archbishop,  and  that 
not  too  soon,  for  his  Lordship  may  refuse  to  accept  it. 
But  when  he  formally  demands  it,  I  should  render  it  to 
him  on  his  own  terms,  and  think  myself  well  out  of  an 
awkward  position." 

The  Count  of  Winneburg  rose  from  his  seat,  and 
lifting  his  clinched  fist  high  above  his  head,  shook  it 
at  the  timbers  of  the  roof. 

"  That,"  he  cried,  "  will  I  never  do,  while  one  stone 
of  Winneburg  stands  upon  another." 

At  this,  those  present,  always  with  the  exception  of 
the  Knight  of  Ehrenburg,  sprang  to  their  feet,  shout- 
ing: 

"  Imperial  troops  or  no,  we  stand  by  the  Count  of 
Winneburg !  " 

Some  one  flashed  forth  a  sword,  and  instantly  a  glitter 


166  THE  STRONG  ARM 

of  blades  was  in  the  air,  while  cheer  after  cheer  rang  to 
the  rafters.  When  the  uproar  had  somewhat  subsided, 
the  Knight  of  Ehrenburg  said  calmly : 

"  My  castle  stands  nearest  to  the  capital,  and  will  be 
the  first  to  fall,  but,  nevertheless,  hoping  to  do  my 
shouting  when  the  war  is  ended,  I  join  my  forces  with 
those  of  the  rest  of  you." 

And  amidst  this  unanimity,  and  much  emptying  of 
flagons,  the  assemblage  dissolved,  each  man  with  his 
escort  taking  his  way  to  his  own  stronghold,  perhaps 
to  con  more  soberly,  next  day,  the  problem  that  con- 
fronted him.  They  were  fighters  all,  and  would  not 
flinch  when  the  pinch  came,  whatever  the  outcome. 

Day  followed  day  with  no  sign  from  Treves.  Winne- 
burg  employed  the  time  in  setting  his  house  in  order 
to  be  ready  for  whatever  chanced,  and  just  as  the  Count 
was  beginning  to  congratulate  himself  that  his  deed 
was  to  be  without  consequences,  there  rode  up  to  his 
castle  gates  a  horseman,  accompanied  by  two  lancers, 
and  on  the  newcomer's  breast  were  emblazoned  the 
Imperial  arms.  Giving  voice  to  his  horn,  the  gates 
were  at  once  thrown  open  to  him,  and,  entering,  he 
demanded  instant  speech  with  the  Count. 

"  My  Lord,  Count  Winneburg,"  he  said,  when  that 
giant  had  presented  himself,  "  His  Majesty  the  Em- 
peror commands'  me  to  summon  you  to  the  court  at 
Frankfort." 

"  Do  you  take  me  as  prisoner,  then  ? "  asked  the 
Count. 

"  Nothing  was  said  to  me  of  arrest.  I  was  merely 
commissioned  to  deliver  to  you  the  message  of  the 
Emperor." 

"  What  are  your  orders  if  I  refuse  to  go  ?  " 

A  hundred  armed  men   stood  behind  the  Count,  a 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  167 

thousand  more  were  within  call  of  the  castle  bell ;  two 
lances  only  were  at  the  back  of  the  messenger ;  but  the 
strength  of  the  broadcast  empire  was  betokened  by 
the  symbol  on  his  breast. 

"  My  orders  are  to  take  back  your  answer  to  his  Im- 
perial Majesty,"  replied  the  messenger  calmly. 

The  Count,  though  hot-headed,  was  no  fool,  and  he 
stood  for  a  moment  pondering  on  the  words  which  the 
Knight  of  Ehrenburg  had  spoken  on  taking  his  leave : 

"  Let  not  the  crafty  Archbishop  embroil  you  with 
the  Emperor." 

This  warning  had  been  the  cautious  warrior's  parting 
advice  to  him. 

"  If  you  will  honour  my  humble  roof,"  said  the  Count 
slowly,  "  by  taking  refreshment  beneath  it,  I  shall  be 
glad  of  your  company  afterwards  to  Frankfort,  in  obe- 
dience to  his  Majesty's  commands." 

The  messenger  bowed  low,  accepted  the  hospitality, 
and  together  they  made  way  across  the  Moselle,  and 
along  the  Roman  road  to  the  capital. 

Within  the  walls  of  Frankfort  the  Count  was  lodged 
in  rooms  near  the  palace,  to  which  his  conductor  guided 
him,  and,  although  it  was  still  held  that  he  was  not  a 
prisoner,  an  armed  man  paced  to  and  fro  before  his 
door  all  night.  The  day  following  his  arrival,  Count 
Winneburg  was  summoned  to  the  Court,  and  in  a  large 
ante-room  found  himself  one  of  a  numerous  throng, 
conspicuous  among  them  all  by  reason  of  his  great 
height  and  bulk. 

The  huge  hall  was  hung  with  tapestry,  and  at  the 
further  end  were  heavy  curtains,  at  each  edge  of  which 
stood  half-a-dozen  armoured  men,  the  detachments 
being  under  command  of  two  gaily-uniformed  officers. 
Occasionally  the  curtains  were  parted  by  menials  who 


168  THE  STRONG  ARM 

stood  there  to  perform  that  duty,  and  high  nobles 
entered,  or  came  out,  singly  and  in  groups.  Down  the 
sides  of  the  hall  were  packed  some  hundreds  of  people, 
chattering  together  for  the  most  part,  and  gazing  at 
those  who  passed  up  and  down  the  open  space  in  the 
centre. 

The  Count  surmised  that  the  Emperor  held  his 
Court  in  whatever  apartment  was  behind  the  crimson 
curtains.  He  felt  the  eyes  of  the  multitude  upon  him, 
and  shifted  uneasily  from  one  foot  to  another,  cursing 
his  ungainliness,  ashamed  of  the  tingling  of  the  blood 
in  his  cheeks.  He  was  out  of  place  in  this  laughing, 
talking  crowd,  experiencing  the  sensations  of  an  uncouth 
rustic  suddenly  thrust  into  the  turmoil  of  a  metropolis, 
resenting  bitterly  the  supposed  sneers  that  were  flung 
at  him.  He  suspected  that  the  whispering  and  the 
giggling  were  directed  towards  himself,  and  burned  to 
draw  his  sword  and  let  these  popinjays  know  for  once 
what  a  man  could  do.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  was  a 
buzz  of  admiration  at  his  stature  which  went  up  when 
he  entered,  but  the  Count  had  so  little  of  self-conceit 
in  his  soul  that  he  never  even  guessed  the  truth. 

Two  nobles  passing  near  him,  he  heard  one  of  them 
say  distinctly : 

"  That  is  the  fellow  who  threw  the  Archbishop  over 
his  head,"  while  the  other,  glancing  at  him,  said : 

"  By  the  Coat,  he  seems  capable  of  upsetting  the 
three  of  them,  and  I,  for  one,  wish  more  power  to  his 
muscle  should  he  attempt  it." 

The  Count  shrank  against  the  tapestried  walls,  hot 
with  anger,  wishing  himself  a  dwarf  that  he  might 
escape  the  gaze  of  so  many  inquiring  eyes.  Just  as 
the  scrutiny  was  becoming  unbearable,  his  companion 
touched  him  on  the  elbow,  and  said  in  a  low  voice : 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  169 

"  Count  Winneburg,  follow  me." 

He  held  aside  the  tapestry  at  the  back  of  the  Count, 
and  that  noble,  nothing  loth,  disappeared  from  view 
behind  it. 

Entering  a  narrow  passage-way,  they  traversed  it 
until  they  came  to  a  closed  door,  at  each  lintel  of 
which  stood  a  pikeman,  fronted  with  a  shining  breast- 
plate of  metal.  The  Count's  conductor  knocked 
gently  at  the  closed  door,  then  opened  it,  holding  it  so 
that  the  Count  could  pass  in,  and  when  he  had  done 
so,  the  door  closed  softly  behind  him.  To  his  amaze- 
ment, Winneburg  saw  before  him,  standing  at  the 
further  end  of  the  small  room,  the  Emperor  Rudolph, 
entirely  alone.  The  Count  was  about  to  kneel  awk- 
wardly, when  his  liege  strode  forward  and  prevented 
him. 

"  Count  Winneburg,"  he  said,  "  from  what  I  hear  of 
you,  your  elbow-joints  are  more  supple  than  those  of 
your  knees,  therefore  let  us  be  thankful  that  on  this 
occasion  there  is  no  need  to  use  either.  I  see  you  are 
under  the  mistaken  impression  that  the  Emperor  is 
present.  Put  that  thought  from  your  mind,  and  regard 
me  simply  as  Lord  Rudolph — one  gentleman  wishing 
to  have  some  little  conversation  with  another." 

"  Your  Majesty "  stammered  the  Count. 

"  I  have  but  this  moment  suggested  that  you  forget 
that  title,  my  Lord.  But,  leaving  aside  all  question  of 
salutation,  let  us  get  to  the  heart  of  the  matter,  for  I 
think  we  are  both  direct  men.  You  are  summoned  to 
Frankfort  because  that  high  and  mighty  Prince  of  the 
Church,  the  Archbisop  of  Treves,  has  made  complaint 
to  the  Emperor  against  you,  alleging  what  seems  to  be 
an  unpardonable  indignity  suffered  by  him  at  your 
hands." 


i;o  THE  STRONG  ARM 

'•  Your  Majesty — my  Lord,  I  mean,"  faltered  the 
Count.  "  The  indignity  was  of  his  own  seeking ;  he 
sat  down  in  my  chair,  where  he  had  no  right  to  place 
himself,  and  I — I — persuaded  him  to  relinquish  his 
position." 

"  So  I  am  informed — that  is  to  say,  so  his  Majesty 
has  been  informed,"  replied  Rudolph,  a  slight  smile 
hovering  round  his  finely  chiselled  lips.  "  We  are 
not  here  to  comment  upon  any  of  the  Archbishop's 
delinquencies,  but,  granting,  for  the  sake  of  argument, 
that  he  had  encroached  upon  your  rights,  nevertheless, 
he  was  under  your  roof,  and  honestly,  I  fail  to  see  that 
you  were  justified  in  cracking  his  heels  against  the 
same." 

"  Well,  your  Majesty — again  I  beg  your  Majesty's 
pardon ' 

"  Oh,  no  matter,"  said  the  Emperor,  "  call  me  what 
you  like ;  names  signify  little." 

"  If  then  the  Emperor,"  continued  the  Count,  "  found 
an  intruder  sitting  on  his  throne,  would  he  like  it, 
think  you  ?  " 

"  His  feeling,  perhaps,  would  be  one  of  astonishment, 
my  Lord  Count,  but  speaking  for  the  Emperor,  I  am 
certain  that  he  would  never  lay  hands  on  the  usurper, 
or  treat  him  like  a  sack  of  corn  in  a  yeoman's  barn." 

The  Count  laughed  heartily  at  this,  and  was  relieved 
to  find  that  this  quitted  him  of  the  tension  which  the 
great  presence  had  at  first  inspired. 

"  Truth  to  tell,  your  Majesty,  I  am  sorry  I  touched 
him.  I  should  have  requested  him  to  withdraw,  but 
my  arm  has  always  been  more  prompt  in  action  than 
my  tongue,  as  you  can  readily  see  since  I  came  into 
this  room." 

"  Indeed,  Count,  your  tongue  does  you  very  good 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  171 

service,"  continued  the  Emperor,  "  and  I  am  glad  to 
have  from  you  an  expression  of  regret.  I  hope,  there- 
fore, that  you  will  have  no  hesitation  in  repeating  that 
declaration  to  the  Archbishop  of  Treves." 

"  Does  your  Majesty  mean  that  I  am  to  apologise 
to  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Emperor. 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  then  the  Count  said 
slowly  : 

"  I  will  surrender  to  your  Majesty  my  person,  my 
sword,  my  castle,  and  my  lands.  I  will,  at  your  word, 
prostrate  myself  at  your  feet,  and  humbly  beg  pardon 
for  any  offence  I  have  committed  against  you,  but  to 
tell  the  Archbishop  I  am  sorry  when  I  am  not,  and  to 
cringe  before  him  and  supplicate  his  grace,  well,  your 
Majesty,  as  between  man  and  man,  I'll  see  him  damned 
first." 

Again  the  Emperor  had  some  difficulty  in  preserving 
that  rigidity  of  expression  which  he  had  evidently 
resolved  to  maintain. 

"  Have  you  ever  met  a  ghost,  my  Lord  Count  ?  "  he 
asked. 

Winneburg  crossed  himself  devoutly,  a  sudden  pallor 
sweeping  over  his  face. 

"  Indeed,  your  Majesty,  I  have  seen  strange  things, 
and  things  for  which  there  was  no  accounting ;  but  it 
has  been  usually  after  a  contest  with  the  wine  flagon, 
and  at  the  time  my  head  was  none  of  the  clearest,  so  I 
could  not  venture  to  say  whether  they  were  ghosts  or 
no." 

"  Imagine,  then,  that  in  one  of  the  corridors  of  your 
castle  at  midnight  you  met  a  white-robed  transparent 
figure,  through  whose  form  your  sword  passed  scath- 
lessly.  What  would  you  do,  my  Lord  ?  " 


172  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Indeed,  your  Majesty,  I  would  take  to  my  heels, 
and  bestow  myself  elsewhere  as  speedily  as  possible." 

"  Most  wisely  spoken  and  you,  who  are  no  coward, 
who  fear  not  to  face  willingly  in  combat  anything 
natural,  would,  in  certain  circumstances,  trust  to  swift 
flight  for  your  protection.  Very  well,  my  Lord,  you 
$re  now  confronted  with  something  against  which  your 
stout  arm  is  as  unavailing  as  it  would  be  if  an  appari- 
tion stood  in  your  path.  There  is  before  you  the 
spectre  of  subtlety.  Use  arm  instead  of  brain,  and  you 
are  a  lost  man. 

"  The  Archbishop  expects  no  apology.  He  looks  for 
a  stalwart,  stubborn  man,  defying  himself  and  the 
Empire  combined.  You  think,  perhaps,  that  the 
Imperial  troops  will  surround  your  castle,  and  that  you 
may  stand  a  siege.  Now  the  Emperor  would  rather 
have  you  fight  with  him  than  against  him,  but  in  truth 
there  will  be  no  contest.  Hold  to  your  refusal,  and 
you  will  be  arrested  before  you  leave  the  precincts  of 
this  palace.  You  will  be  thrown  into  a  dungeon,  your 
castle  and  your  lands  sequestered ;  and  I  call  your  at- 
tention, to  the  fact  that  your  estate  adjoins  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Archbishop  at  Cochem,  and  Heaven  fend 
me  for  hinting  that  his  Lordship  casts  covetous  eyes 
over  his  boundary ;  yet,  nevertheless,  he  will  probably 
not  refuse  to  accept  your  possessions  in  reparation  for 
the  insult  bestowed  upon  him.  Put  it  this  way  if  you 
like.  Would  you  rather  pleasure  me  or  pleasure  the 
Archbishop  of  Treves  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  question  as  to  that,"  answered  the 
Count. 

"  Then  it  will  please  me  well  if  you  promise  to  apolo- 
gise to  his  Lordship  the  Archbishop  of  Treves.  That  his 
Lordship  will  be  equally  pleased,  I  very  much  doubt." 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  173 

"  Will  your  Majesty  command  me  in  open  Court  to 
apologise  ?  " 

"  I  shall  request  you  to  do  so.  I  must  uphold  the 
Feudal  law."  *,  " 

"  Then  I  beseech  your  Majesty  to  command  me,  for 
I  am  a  loyal  subject,  and  will  obey." 

"  God  give  me  many  such,"  said  the  Emperor 
fervently,  "  and  bestow  upon  me  the  wisdom  to  deserve 
them ! " 

He  extended  his  hand  to  the  Count,  then  touched  a 
bell  on  the  table  beside  him.  The  officer  who  had  con- 
ducted Winneburg  entered  silently,  and  acted  as  his 
guide  back  to  the  thronged  apartment  they  had  left. 
The  Count  saw  that  the  great  crimson  curtains  were 
now  looped  up,  giving  a  view  of  the  noble  interior  of 
the  room  beyond,  thronged  with  the  notables  of  the 
Empire.  The  hall  leading  to  it  was  almost  deserted, 
and  the  Count,  under  convoy  of  two  lancemen,  him- 
self nearly  as  tall  as  their  weapons,  passed  in  to  the 
Throne  Room,  and  found  all  eyes  turned  upon  him. 

He  was  brought  to  a  stand  before  an  elevated  dais, 
the  centre  of  which  was  occupied  by  a  lofty  throne, 
which,  at  the  moment,  was  empty.  Near  it,  on  the 
elevation,  stood  the  three  Archbishops  of  Treves, 
Cologne,  and  Mayence,  on  the  other  side  the  Count 
Palatine  of  the  Rhine  with  the  remaining  three  Electors. 
The  nobles  of  the  realm  occupied  places  according  to 
their  degree. 

As  the  stalwart  Count  came  in,  a  buzz  of  conversa- 
tion swept  over  the  hall  like  a  breeze  among  the  leaves 
of  a  forest.  A  malignant  scowl  darkened  the  counte- 
nance of  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  but  the  faces  of 
Cologne  and  Mayence  expressed  a  certain  Christian 
resignation  regarding  the  contumely  which  had  been 


1/4  THE  STRONG  ARM 

endured  by  their  colleague.  The  Count  stood  stolidly 
where  he  was  placed,  and  gazed  at  the  vacant  throne, 
turning  his  eyes  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  fanfare  of  trumpets,  and  instant 
silence  smote  the  assembly.  First  came  officers  of  the 
Imperial  Guard  in  shining  armour,  then  the  immediate 
advisers  and  councillors  of  his  Majesty,  and  last  of  all, 
the  Emperor  himself,  a  robe  of  great  richness  clasped 
at  his  throat,  and  trailing  behind  him ;  the  crown  of 
the  Empire  upon  his  head.  His  face  was  pale  and  stern, 
and  he  looked  what  he  was,  a  monarch,  and  a  man. 
The  Count  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  could  scarcely  believe 
that  he  stood  now  in  the  presence  of  one  who  had 
chatted  amiably  with  him  but  a  few  moments  before. 

The  Emperor  sat  on  his  throne  and  one  of  his 
councillors  whispered  for  some  moments  to  him  ;  then 
the  Emperor  said,  in  a  low,  clear  voice,  that  penetrated 
to  the  farthest  corner  of  the  vast  apartment : 

"  Is  the  Count  of  Winneburg  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty." 

"  Let  him  stand  forward." 

The  Count  strode  two  long  steps  to  the  front,  and 
stood  there,  red-faced  and  abashed.  The  officer  at  his 
side  whispered : 

"  Kneel,  you  fool,  kneel." 

And  the  Count  got  himself  somewhat  clumsily  down 
upon  his  knees,  like  an  elephant  preparing  to  receive 
his  burden.  The  face  of  the  Emperor  remained  impas- 
sive, and  he  said  harshly  : 

"  Stand  up." 

The  Count,  once  more  upon  his  feet,  breathed  a  deep 
sigh  of  satisfaction  at  finding  himself  again  in  an  up- 
right posture. 

"Count  of  Winneburg,"  said  the   Emperor  slowly, 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  175 

"  it  is  alleged  that  upon  the  occasion  of  the  last  meet- 
ing of  the  Council  of  State  for  the  Moselle  valley,  you, 
in  presence  of  the  nobles  there  assembled,  cast  a  slight 
upon  your  over-lord,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves.  DQ 
you  question  the  statement?" 

The  Count  cleared  his  throat  several  times,  which  in 
the  stillness  of  that  vaulted  room  sounded  like  the  dis- 
tant booming  of  cannon. 

"  If  to  cast  the  Archbishop  half  the  distance  of  this 
room  is  to  cast  a  slight  upon  him,  I  did  so,  your  Maj- 
esty." 

There  was  a  simultaneous  ripple  of  laughter  at  this, 
instantly  suppressed  when  the  searching  eye  of  the 
Emperor  swept  the  room. 

"  Sir  Count,"  said  the  Emperor  severely,  "  the  par- 
ticulars of  your  outrage  are  not  required  of  you  ;  only 
your  admission  thereof.  Hear,  then,  my  commands. 
Betake  yourself  to  your  castle  of  Winneburg,  and  hold 
yourself  there  in  readiness  to  proceed  to  Treves  on  a 
day  appointed  by  his  Lordship  the  Archbishop,  an 
Elector  of  this  Empire,  there  to  humble  yourself  be- 
fore him,  and  crave  his  pardon  for  the  offence  you 
have  committed.  Disobey  at  your  peril." 

Once  or  twice  the  Count  moistened  his  dry  lips,  then 
he  said  : 

"  Your  Majesty,  I  will  obey  any  command  you  place 
upon  me." 

"  In  that  case,"  continued  the  Emperor,  his  severity 
visibly  relaxing,  "  I  can  promise  that  your  over-lord 
will  not  hold  this  incident  against  you.  Such,  I  under- 
stand, is  your  intention,  my  Lord  Archbishop  ?  "  and 
the  Emperor  turned  toward  the  Prince  of  Treves. 

The  Archbishop  bowed  low,  and  thus  veiled  the 
malignant  hatred  in  his  eyes. 


176  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty,"  he  replied,  "  providing  the 
apology  is  given  as  publicly  as  was  the  insult,  in  pres- 
ence of  those  who  were  witnesses  of  the  Count's  fool- 
ishness." 

"That  is  but  a  just  condition,"  said  the  Emperor. 
"  It  is  my  pleasure  that  the  Council  be  summoned  to 
Treves  to  hear  the  Count's  apology.  And  now,  Count 
of  Winneburg,  you  are  at  liberty  to  withdraw." 

The  Count  drew  his  mammoth  hand  across  his  brow, 
and  scattered  to  the  floor  the  moisture  that  had  col- 
lected there.  He  tried  to  speak,  but  apparently  could 
not,  then  turned  and  walked  resolutely  towards  the 
door.  There  was  instant  outcry  at  this,  the  Chamber- 
lain of  the  Court  standing  in  stupefied  amazement  at  a 
breach  of  etiquette  which  exhibited  any  man's  back  to 
the  Emperor ;  but  a  smile  relaxed  the  Emperor's  lips, 
and  he  held  up  his  hand. 

"  Do  not  molest  him,"  he  said,  as  the  Count  disap- 
peared. "  He  is  unused  to  the  artificial  manners  of  a 
Court.  In  truth,  I  take  it  as  a  friendly  act,  for  I  am 
sure  the  valiant  Count  never  turned  his  back  upon  a 
foe,"  which  Imperial  witticism  was  well  received,  for  the 
sayings  of  an  Emperor  rarely  lack  applause. 

The  Count,  wending  his  long  way  home  by  the  route 
he  had  come,  spent  the  first  half  of  the  journey  in 
cursing  the  Archbishop,  and  the  latter  half  in  thinking 
over  the  situation.  By  the  time  he  had  reached  his 
castle  he  had  formulated  a  plan,  and  this  plan  he  pro- 
ceeded to  put  into  execution  on  receiving  the  summons 
of  the  Archbishop  to  come  to  Treves  on  the  first  day 
of  the  following  month  and  make  his  apology,  the 
Archbishop,  with  characteristic  penuriousness,  leaving 
the  inviting  of  the  fifteen  nobles,  who  formed  the 
Council,  to  Winneburg,  and  thus  his  Lordship  o£ 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  177 

Treves  was  saved  the  expense  of  sending  special  mes- 
sengers to  each.  In  case  Winneburg  neglected  to 
summon  the  whole  Council,  the  Archbishop  added  to 
his  message,  the  statement  that  he  would  refuse  to  re- 
ceive the  apology  if  any  of  the  nobles  were  absent. 

Winneburg  sent  messengers,  first  to  Beilstein,  asking 
him  to  attend  at  Treves  on  the  second  day  of  the 
month,  and  bring  with  him  an  escort  of  at  least  a  thou- 
sand men.  Another  he  asked  for  the  third,  another 
for  the  fourth,  another  for  the  fifth,  and  so  on,  resolved 
that  before  a  complete  quorum  was  present,  half  of  the 
month  would  be  gone,  and  with  it  most  of  the  Arch- 
bishop's provender,  for  his  Lordship,  according  to  the 
laws  of  hospitality,  was  bound  to  entertain  free  of  all 
charge  to  themselves  the  various  nobles  and  their  fol- 
lowings. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  month  Winneburg  entered 
the  northern  gate  of  Treves,  accompanied  by  two  hun- 
dred horsemen  and  eight  hundred  foot  soldiers.  At 
first  the  officers  of  the  Archbishop  thought  that  an  in- 
vasion was  contemplated,  but  Winneburg  suavely  ex- 
plained that  if  a  thing  was  worth  doing  at  all,  it  was 
worth  doing  well,  and  he  was  not  going  to  make  any 
hole-and-corner  affair  of  his  apology.  Next  day  Beil- 
stein came  along  accompanied  by  five  hundred  cav- 
alry, and  five  hundred  foot  soldiers. 

The  Chamberlain  of  the  Archbishop  was  in  despair 
at  having  to  find  quarters  for  so  many,  but  he  did  the 
best  he  could,  while  the  Archbishop  was  enraged  to 
observe  that  the  nobles  did  not  assemble  in  greater 
haste,  but  each  as  he  came  had  a  plausible  excuse  for 
his  delay.  Some  had  to  build  bridges,  sickness  had 
broken  out  in  another  camp,  while  a  third  expedition 

had  lost  its  way  and  wandered  in  the  forest. 
12 


i;8  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  streets  of  Treves  each  night  resounded  with 
songs  of  revelry,  varied  by  the  clash  of  swords,  when  a 
party  of  the  newcomers  fell  foul  of  a  squad  of  the  town 
soldiers,  and  the  officers  on  either  side  had  much  ado 
to  keep  the  peace  among  their  men.  The  Arch- 
bishop's wine  cups  were  running  dry,  and  the  price 
of  provisions  had  risen,  the  whole  surrounding 
country  being  placed  under  contribution  for  pro- 
vender and  drink.  When  a  week  had  elapsed  the 
Archbishop  relaxed  his  dignity  and  sent  for  Count 
Winneburg. 

"  We  will  not  wait  for  the  others,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
no  desire  to  humiliate  you  unnecessarily.  Those  who 
are  here  shall  bear  witness  that  you  have  apologised, 
and  so  I  shall  not  insist  on  the  presence  of  the  laggards, 
but  will  receive  your  apology  to-morrow  at  high  noon 
in  the  great  council  chamber." 

"  Ah,  there  speaks  a  noble  heart,  ever  thinking  gen- 
erously of  those  who  despitefully  use  you,  my  Lord 
Archbishop,"  said  Count  Winneburg.  "  But  no,  no,  I 
cannot  accept  such  a  sacrifice.  The  Emperor  showed 
me  plainly  the  enormity  of  my  offence.  In  the  pres- 
ence of  all  I  insulted  you,  wretch  that  I  am,  and  in  the 
presence  of  all  shall  I  abase  myself." 

"  But  I  do  not  seek  your  abasement,"  protested  the 
Archbishop,  frowning. 

"The  more  honour,  then,  to  your  benevolent  nature," 
answered  the  Count,  "  and  the  more  shameful  would  it 
be  of  me  to  take  advantage  of  it.  As  I  stood  a  short 
time  since  on  the  walls,  I  saw  coming  up  the  river  the 
banners  of  the  Knight  of  Ehrenburg.  His  castle  is  the 
furthest  removed  from  Treves,  and  so  the  others  cannot 
surely  delay  long.  We  will  wait,  my  Lord  Archbishop, 
until  all  are  here.  But  I  thank  you  just  as  much  for 


THE  COUNT'S  APOLOGY  179 

your  generosity  as  if  I  were  craven  enough  to  shield 
myself  behind  it." 

The  Knight  of  Ehrenburg  in  due  time  arrived,  and 
behind  him  his  thousand  men,  many  of  whom  were  com: 
pelled  to  sleep  in  the  public  buildings,  for  all  the  rooms 
in  Treves  were  occupied.  Next  day  the  Archbishop 
summoned  the  assembled  nobles  and  said  he  would  hear 
the  apology  in  their  presence.  If  the  others  missed  it, 
it  was  their  own  fault — they  should  have  been  in  time. 

"  I  cannot  apologise,"  said  the  Count,  "  until  all  are 
here.  It  was  the  Emperor's  order,  and  who  am  I  to 
disobey  my  Emperor  ?  We  must  await  their  coming 
with  patience,  and,  indeed,  Treves  is  a  goodly  town,  in 
which  all  of  us  find  ourselves  fully  satisfied." 

"  Then,  my  blessing  on  you  all,"  said  the  Archbishop 
in  a  sour  tone  most  unsuited  to  the  benediction  he  was 
bestowing.  "  Return,  I  beg  of  you,  instantly,  to  youi 
castles.  I  forego  the  apology." 

"  But  I  insist  on  tendering  it,"  cried  the  Count,  his 
mournful  voice  giving  some  indication  of  the  sorrow 
he  felt  at  his  offence  if  it  went  unrequited.  "  It  is  my 
duty,  not  only  to  you,  my  Lord  Archbishop,  but  also 
to  his  Majesty  the  Emperor." 

"  Then,  in  Heaven's  name  get  on  with  it  and  depart. 
I  am  willing  to  accept  it  on  your  own  terms,  as  I  have 
said  before." 

"  No,  not  on  my  own  terms,  but  on  yours.  What 
matters  the  delay  of  a  week  or  two  ?  The  hunting 
season  does  not  begin  for  a  fortnight,  and  we  are  all 
as  well  at  Treves  as  at  home.  Besides,  how  could  I 
ever  face  my  Emperor  again,  knowing  I  had  disobeyed 
his  commands  ?  " 

"  I  will  make  it  right  with  the  Emperor,"  said  the 
Archbishop. 


i8o  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  Knight  of  Ehrenburg  now  spoke  up,  calmly,  as 
was  his  custom  : 

"  'Tis  a  serious  matter,"  he  said,  "  for  a  man  to  take 
another's  word  touching  action  of  his  Majesty  the  Em- 
peror. You  have  clerks  here  with  you  ;  perhaps  then 
you  will  bid  them  indite  a  document  to  be  signed  by 
yourself  absolving  my  friend,  the  Count  of  Winneburg, 
from  all  necessity  of  apologising,  so  that  should  the 
Emperor  take  offence  at  his  disobedience,  the  parch- 
ment may  hold  him  scathless." 

"  I  will  do  anything  to  be  quit  of  you,"  muttered  the 
Archbishop  more  to  himself  than  to  the  others. 

And  so  the  document  was  written  and  signed.  With 
this  parchment  in  his  saddle-bags  the  Count  and  his 
comrades  quitted  the  town,  drinking  in  half  flagons  the 
health  of  the  Archbishop,  because  there  was  not  left  in 
Treves  enough  wine  to  fill  the  measures  to  the  brim. 


CONVERTED 

IN  the  ample  stone-paved  courtyard  of  the  Schloss 
Grunewald,  with  its  mysterious  bubbling  spring  in  the 
centre,  stood  the  Black  Baron  beside  his  restive  horse, 
both  equally  eager  to  be  away.  Round  the  Baron  were 
grouped  his  sixteen  knights  and  their  saddled  chargers, 
all  waiting  the  word  to  mount.  The  warder  was  slowly 
opening  the  huge  gates  that  hung  between  the  two 
round  entrance  towers  of  the  castle,  for  it  was  the  Baron's 
custom  never  to  ride  out  at  the  head  of  his  men  until 
the  great  leaves  of  the  strong  gate  fell  full  apart,  and 
showed  the  green  landscape  beyond.  The  Baron  did 
not  propose  to  ride  unthinkingly  out,  and  straightway 
fall  into  an  ambush. 

He  and  his  sixteen  knights  were  the  terror  of  the 
country-side,  and  many  there  were  who  would  have  been 
glad  to  venture  a  bow  shot  at  him  had  they  dared. 
There  seemed  to  be  some  delay  about  the  opening  of 
the  gates,  and  a  great  chattering  of  underlings  at  the 
entrance,  as  if  something  unusual  had  occurred,  where- 
upon the  rough  voice  of  the  Baron  roared  out  to 
know  the  cause  that  kept  him  waiting,  and  every  one 
scattered,  each  to  his  own  affair,  leaving  only  the 
warder,  who  approached  his  master  with  fear  in  his 
face. 

"  My  Lord,"  he  began,  when  the  Baron  had  shouted 

181 


1 82  THE  STRONG  ARM 

what  the  devil  ailed  him,  "  there  has  been  nailed  against 
the  outer  gate,  sometime  in  the  night,  a  parchment  with 
characters  written  thereon." 

"  Then  tear  it  down  and  bring  it  to  me,"  cried  the 
Baron.  "  What's  all  this  to-do  about  a  bit  of  parch- 
ment ?  " 

The  warder  had  been  loath  to  meddle  with  it,  in  terror 
of  that  witchcraft  which  he  knew  pertained  to  all  writ- 
ten characters  ;  but  he  feared  the  Black  Baron's  frown 
even  more  than  the  fiends  who  had  undoubtedly  nailed 
the  documents  on  the  gate,  for  he  knew  no  man  in 
all  that  well-cowed  district  would  have  the  daring  to  ap- 
proach the  castle  even  in  the  night,  much  less  meddle 
with  the  gate  or  any  other  belonging  of  the  Baron  von 
Grunewald  ;  so,  breathing  a  request  to  his  patron  saint 
(his  neglect  of  whom  he  now  remembered  with  remorse) 
for  protection,  he  tore  the  document  from  its  fastening 
and  brought  it,  trembling,  to  the  Baron.  The  knights 
crowded  round  as  von  Grunewald  held  the  parchment 
in  his  hand,  bending  his  dark  brows  upon  it,  for  it  con- 
veyed no  meaning  to  him  Neither  the  Baron  nor  his 
knights  could  read. 

"  What  foolery,  think  you,  is  this?"  he  said,  turning 
to  the  knight  nearest  him.  "  A  Defiance  ?  " 

The  knight  shook  his  head.  "  I  am  no  clerk,"  he 
answered. 

For  a  moment  the  Baron  was  puzzled ;  then  he 
quickly  bethought  himself  of  the  one  person  in  the  castle 
who  could  read. 

"  Bring  hither  old  Father  Gottlieb,"  4ie  commanded, 
and  two  of  those  waiting  ran  in  haste  towards  the  scul- 
lery of  the  place,  from  which  they  presently  emerged 
dragging  after  them  an  old  man  partly  in  the  habit  of 
a  monk  and  partly  in  that  of  a  scullion,  who  wiped  his 


CONVERTED  183 

hands  on  the  coarse  apron  that  was  tied  around  his 
waist,  as  he  was  hurried  fonvard. 

"  Here,  good  father,  excellent  cook  and  humble  serv- 
itor, I  trust  your  residence  with  us  has  not  led  you  to 
forget  the  learning  you  put  to  such  poor  advantage  in 
the  Monastery  of  Monnonstein.  Canst  thou  construe 
this  for  us  ?  Is  it  in  good  honest  German  or  bastard 
Latin  ?  " 

"  It  is  in  Latin,"  said  the  captive  monk,  on  glancing 
at  the  document  in  the  other's  hand. 

"  Then  translate  it  for  us,  and  quickly." 

Father  Gottlieb  took  the  parchment  handed  him  by 
the  Baron,  and  as  his  eyes  scanned  it  more  closely,  he 
bowed  his  head  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon 
his  breast. 

"  Cease  that  mummery,"  roared  the  Baron,  "  and 
read  without  more  waiting  or  the  rod's  upon  thy  back 
again.  Who  sends  us  this  ?  " 

"  It  is  from  our  Holy  Father  the  Pope,"  said  the 
monk,  forgetting  his  menial  position  for  the  moment, 
and  becoming  once  more  the  scholar  of  the  monastery. 
The  sense  of  his  captivity  faded  from  him  as  he  real- 
ised that  the  long  arm  of  the  Church  had  extended 
within  the  impregnable  walls  of  that  tyrannical  castle. 

"  Good.  And  what  has  our  Holy  Father  the  Pope 
to  say  to  us  ?  Demands  he  the  release  of  our  excellent 
scullion,  Father  Gottlieb  ?  " 

The  bent  shoulders  of  the  old  monk  straightened,  his 
dim  eye  brightened,  and  his  voice  rang  clear  within  the 
echoing  walls  of  the  castle  courtyard. 

"  It  is  a  ban  of  excommunication  against  thee,  Lord 
Baron  von  Grunewald,  and  against  all  within  these  walls, 
excepting  only  those  unlawfully  withheld  from  free- 
dom." 


1 84  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Which  means  thyself,  worthy  Father.  Read  on, 
good  clerk,  and  let  us  hear  it  to  the  end." 

As  the  monk  read  out  the  awful  words  of  the  mes- 
sage, piling  curse  on  curse  with  sonorous  voice,  the 
Baron  saw  his  trembling  servitors  turn  pale,  and  even 
his  sixteen  knights,  companions  in  robbery  and  rapine, 
fall  away  from  him.  Dark  red  anger  mounted  to  his 
temples  ;  he  raised  his  mailed  hand  and  smote  the  read- 
ing monk  flat  across  the  mouth,  felling  the  old  man 
prone  upon  the  stones  of  the  court. 

"That  is  my  answer  to  our  Holy  Father  the  Pope, 
and  when  thou  swearest  to  deliver  it  to  him  as  I  have 
given  it  to  thee,  the  gates  are  open  and  the  way  clear 
for  thy  pilgrimage  to  Rome." 

But  the  monk  lay  where  he  fell  and  made  no  reply. 

"  Take  him  away,"  commanded  the  Baron  impa- 
tiently, whereupon  several  of  the  menials  laid  hands  on 
the  fallen  monk  and  dragged  him  into  the  scullery  he 
had  left. 

Turning  to  his  men-at-arms,  the  Baron  roared  :  "  Well, 
my  gentle  wolves,  have  a  few  words  in  Latin  on  a  bit 
of  sheep-skin  turned  you  all  to  sheep  ?  " 

"  I  have  always  said,"  spoke  up  the  knight  Segfried, 
"  that  no  good  came  of  captured  monks,  or  meddling 
with  the  Church.  Besides,  we  are  noble  all,  and  do  not 
hold  with  the  raising  of  a  mailed  hand  against  an  un- 
armed man." 

There  was  a  low  murmur  of  approval  among  the 
knights  at  Segfried's  boldness. 

"  Close  the  gates,"  shouted  the  maddened  Baron. 
Every  one  flew  at  the  word  of  command,  and  the  great 
oaken  hinges  studded  with  iron,  slowly  came  together, 
shutting  out  the  bit  of  landscape  their  opening  had  dis- 
covered. The  Baron  flung  the  reins  on  his  charger's 


CONVERTED  185 

neck,  and  smote  the  animal  on  the  flank,  causing  it  to 
trot  at  once  to  its  stable. 

"  There  will  be  no  riding  to-day,"  he  said,  his  voice 
ominously  lowering.  The  stablemen  of  the  castle  came 
forward  and  led  away  the  horses.  The  sixteen  knights 
stood  in  a  group  together  with  Segfried  at  their  head, 
waiting  with  some  anxiety  on  their  brows  for  the  next 
move  in  the  game.  The  Baron,  his  sword  drawn  in  his 
hand,  strode  up  and  down  before  them,  his  brow  bent 
on  the  ground,  evidently  struggling  to  get  the  master 
hand  over  his  own  anger.  If  it  came  to  blows  the  odds 
were  against  him  and  he  was  too  shrewd  a  man  to  en- 
gage himself  single-handed  in  such  a  contest. 

At  length  the  Baron  stopped  in  his  walk  and  looked 
at  the  group.  He  said,  after  a  pause,  in  a  quiet  tone  of 
voice :  "  Segfried,  if  you  doubt  my  courage  because  I 
strike  to  the  ground  a  rascally  monk,  step  forth,  draw 
thine  own  good  sword,  our  comrades  will  see  that  all  is 
fair  betwixt  us,  and  in  this  manner  you  may  learn  that 
I  fear  neither  mailed  nor  unmailed  hand." 

But  the  knight  made  no  motion  to  lay  his  hand  upon 
his  sword,  nor  did  he  move  from  his  place.  "  No  one 
doubts  your  courage,  my  Lord,"  he  said,  "  neither  is  it 
any  reflection  on  mine  that  in  answer  to  your  challenge 
my  sword  remains  in  its  scabbard.  You  are  our  over- 
lord and  it  is  not  meet  that  our  weapons  should  be 
raised  against  you." 

"  I  am  glad  that  point  is  firmly  fixed  in  your  minds. 
I  thought  a  moment  since  that  I  would  be  compelled 
to  uphold  the  feudal  law  at  the  peril  of  my  own  body. 
But  if  that  comes  not  in  question,  no  more  need  be 
said.  Touching  the  unarmed,  Segfried,  if  I  remember 
aright  you  showed  no  such  squeamishness  at  our  sack- 
ing of  the  Convent  of  St.  Agnes." 


1 86  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  A  woman  is  a  different  matter,  my  Lord,"  said  Seg- 
fried  uneasily. 

The  Baron  laughed  and  so  did  some  of  the  knights, 
openly  relieved  to  find  the  tension  of  the  situation  re- 
laxing. 

"  Comrades  !  "  cried  the  Baron,  his  face  aglow  with 
enthusiasm,  all  traces  of  his  former  temper  vanishing 
from  his  brow.  "  You  are  excellent  in  a  melee,  but  use- 
less at  the  council  board.  You  see  no  further  ahead  of 
you  than  your  good  right  arms  can  strike.  Look  round 
you  at  these  stout  walls ;  no  engine  that  man  has  yet 
devised  can  batter  a  breach  in  them.  In  our  vaults  are 
ten  years'  supply  of  stolen  grain.  Our  cellars  are  full 
of  rich  red  wine,  not  of  our  vintage,  but  for  our  drink- 
ing. Here  in  our  court  bubbles  forever  this  good 
spring,  excellent  to  drink  when  wine  gives  out,  and 
medicinal  in  the  morning  when  too  much  wine  has 
been  taken  in."  He  waved  his  hand  towards  the  over- 
flowing well,  charged  with  carbonic  acid  gas,  one  of  the 
many  that  have  since  made  this  region  of  the  Rhine 
famous.  "  Now  I  ask  you,  can  this  Castle  of  Grune- 
wald  ever  be  taken— excommunication  or  no  excom- 
munication ?  " 

A  simultaneous  shout  of  "  No  !  Never !  "  arose  from 
the  knights. 

The  Baron  stood  looking  grimly  at  them  for  several 
moments.  Then  he  said  in  a  quiet  voice,  "Yes,  the 
Castle  of  Grunewald  can  be  taken.  Not  from  without 
but  from  within.  If  any  crafty  enemy  sows  dissension 
among  us  ;  turns  the  sword  of  comrade  against  com- 
rade ;  then  falls  the  Castle  of  Grunewald  !  To-day  we 
have  seen  how  nearly  that  has  been  done.  We  have 
against  us  in  the  monastery  of  Monnonstein  no  fat- 
headed  Abbot,  but  one  who  was  a  warrior  before  he 


CONVERTED  187 

turned  a  monk.  'Tis  but  a  few  years  since,  that  the 
Abbot  Ambrose  stood  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Em- 
peror as  Baron  von  Stern,  and  it  is  known  that  the  Ab- 
bot's robes  are  but  a  thin  veneer  over  the  iron  knight 
within.  His  hand,  grasping  the  cross,  still  itches  for 
the  sword.  The  fighting  Archbishop  of  Treves  has 
sent  him  to  Monnonstein  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
leave  behind  him  the  ruins  of  Grunewald,  and  his  first 
bolt  was  shot  straight  into  our  courtyard,  and  for  a 
moment  I  stood  alone,  without  a  single  man-at-arms  to 
second  me." 

The  knights  looked  at  one  another  in  silence,  then 
cast  their  eyes  to  the  stone-paved  court,  all  too  shamed- 
faced  to  attempt  reply  to  what  all  knew  was  the  truth. 
The  Baron,  a  deep  frown  on  his  brow,  gazed  sternly  at 
the  chap-fallen  group.  ...  "  Such  was  the  effect  of 
the  first  shaft  shot  by  good  Abbot  Ambrose,  what 
will  be  the  result  of  the  second  ?  " 

u  There  will  be  no  second,"  said  Segfried  stepping 
forward.  "  We  must  sack  the  Monastery,  and  hang 
the  Abbot  and  his  craven  monks  in  their  own  cords." 

"  Good,"  cried  the  Baron,  nodding  his  head  in  ap- 
proval, "  the  worthy  Abbot,  however,  trusts  not  only  in 
God,  but  in  walls  three  cloth  yards  thick.  The  monas- 
tery stands  by  the  river  and  partly  over  it.  The  be- 
sieged monks  will  therefore  not  suffer  from  thirst. 
Their  larder  is  as  amply  provided  as  are  the  vaults  of 
this  castle.  The  militant  Abbot  understands  both 
defence  and  sortie.  He  is  a  master  of  siege-craft  inside 
or  outside  stone  walls.  How  then  do  you  propose  to 
sack  and  hang,  good  Segfried  ?  " 

The  knights  were  silent.  They  knew  the  Monastery 
was  as  impregnable  as  the  castle,  in  fact  it  was  the  only 
spot  for  miles  round  that  had  never  owned  the  sway  of 


1 88  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Baron  *  von  Grunewald,  and  none  of  them  were  well 
enough  provided  with  brains  to  venture  a  plan  for  its 
successful  reduction.  A  cynical  smile  played  round 
the  lips  of  their  over-lord,  as  he  saw  the  problem  had 
overmatched  them.  At  last  he  spoke. 

"  We  must  meet  craft  with  craft.  If  the  Pope's  Ban 
cast  such  terror  among  my  good  knights,  steeped  to  the 
gauntlets  in  blood,  what  effect,  think  you,  will  it  have 
over  the  minds  of  devout  believers  in  the  Church  and 
its  power?  The  trustful  monks  know  that  it  has  been 
launched  against  us,  therefore  are  they  doubtless  wait- 
ing for  us  to  come  to  the  monastery,  and  lay  our  necks 
under  the  feet  of  their  Abbot,  begging  his  clemency. 
They  are  ready  to  believe  any  story  we  care  to  tell 
touching  the  influence  of  such  scribbling  over  us.  You 
Segfried,  owe  me  some  reparation  for  this  morning's 
temporary  defection,  and  to  you,  therefore,  do  I  trust 
the  carrying  out  of  my  plans.  There  was  always  some- 
thing of  the  monk  about  you,  Segfried,  and  you  will 
yet  end  your  days  sanctimoniously  in  a  monastery',  un- 
less you  are  first  hanged  at  Treves  or  knocked  on  the 
head  during  an  assault. 

"  Draw,  then,  your  longest  face,  and  think  of  the 
time  when  you  will  be  a  monk,  as  Ambrose  is,  who,  in 
his  day,  shed  as  much  blood  as  ever  you  have  done. 
Go  to  the  Monastery  of  Monnonstein  in  most  dejected 
fashion,  and  unarmed.  Ask  in  faltering  tones,  speech 
of  the  Abbot,  and  say  to  him,  as  if  he  knew  nought  of 
it,  that  the  Pope's  Ban  is  on  us.  Say  that  at  first  I 
defied  it,  and  smote  down  the  good  father  who  was 
reading  it,  but  add  that  as  the  pious  man  fell,  a  sick- 
ness like  unto  a  pestilence  came  over  me  and  over  my 
men,  from  which  you  only  are  free,  caused,  you  sus- 
pect, by  your  loudly  protesting  against  the  felling  of 


CONVERTED  189 

the  monk.  Say  that  we  lie  at  death's  door,  grieving 
for  our  sins,  and  groaning  for  absolution.  Say  that  we 
are  ready  to  deliver  up  the  castle  and  all  its  contents  to 
the  care  of  the  holy  Church,  so  that  the  Abbot  but  se.es 
our  tortured  souls  safely  directed  towards  the  gates  of 
Paradise.  Insist  that  all  the  monks  come,  explaining 
that  you  fear  we  have  but  few  moments  to  live,  and 
that  the  Abbot  alone  would  be  as  helpless  as  one 
surgeon  on  a  battle-field.  Taunt  them  with  fear  of 
the  pestilence  if  they  hesitate,  and  that  will  bring 
them." 

Segfried  accepted  the  commission,  and  the  knights 
warmly  expressed  their  admiration  of  their  master's 
genius.  As  the  great  red  sun  began  to  sink  behind  the 
westward  hills  that  border  the  Rhine,  Segfried  departed 
on  horseback  through  the  castle  gates,  and  journeyed 
toward  the  monastery  with  bowed  head  and  dejected 
mien.  The  gates  remained  open,  and  as  darkness  fell, 
a  lighted  torch  was  thrust  in  a  wrought  iron  receptacle 
near  the  entrance  at  the  outside,  throwing  a  fitful, 
flickering  glare  under  the  archway  and  into  the  desert- 
ed court.  Within,  all  was  silent  as  the  ruined  castle  is 
to-day,  save  only  the  tinkling  sound  of  the  clear  waters 
of  the  effervescing  spring  as  it  flowed  over  the  stones 
and  trickled  down  to  disappear  under  the  walls  at  one 
corner  of  the  courtyard. 

The  Baron  and  his  sturdy  knights  sat  in  the  darkness, 
with  growing  impatience,  in  the  great  Rittersaal 
listening  for  any  audible  token  of  the  return  of  Seg- 
fried and  his  ghostly  company.  At  last  in  the  still 
night  air  there  came  faintly  across  the  plain  a  monkish 
chant  growing  louder  and  louder,  until  finally  the  steel- 
shod  hoofs  of  Segfried's  charger  rang  on  the  stones  of 
the  causeway  leading  to  the  castle  gates.  Pressed  be- 


190  THE  STRONG  ARM 

hind  the  two  heavy  open  leaves  of  the  gates  stood 
the  warder  and  his  assistants,  scarcely  breathing,  ready 
to  close  the  gates  sharply  the  moment  the  last  monk 
had  entered. 

Still  chanting,  led  by  the  Abbot  in  his  robes  of 
office,  the  monks  slowly  marched  into  the  deserted 
courtyard,  while  Segfried  reined  his  horse  close  inside 
the  entrance.  "  Peace  be  upon  this  house  and  all 
within,"  said  the  deep  voice  of  the  Abbot,  and  in  uni- 
son the  monks  murmured  "  Amen,"  the  word  echoing 
back  to  them  in  the  stillness  from  the  four  grey  walls. 

Then  the  silence  was  rudely  broken  by  the  ponder- 
ous clang  of  the  closing  gates  and  the  ominous  rattle  of 
bolts  being  thrust  into  their  places  with  the  jingle  of 
heavy  chains.  Down  the  wide  stairs  from  the  Ritter- 
saal  came  the  clank  of  armour  and  rude  shouts  of 
laughter.  Newly  lighted  torches  flared  up  here  and 
there,  illuminating  the  courtyard,  and  showing,  dan- 
gling against  the  northern  wall  a  score  of  ropes  with 
nooses  at  the  end  of  each.  Into  the  courtyard  clat- 
tered the  Baron  and  his  followers.  The  Abbot  stood 
with  arms  folded,  pressing  a  gilded  cross  across  his 
breast.  He  was  a  head  taller  than  any  of  his  fright- 
ened, cowering  brethen,  and  his  noble  emaciated  face 
was  thin  with  fasting  caused  by  his  never-ending  con- 
flict with  the  world  that  was  within  himself.  His  pale 
countenance  betokened  his  office  and  the  Church  ;~"but 
the  angry  eagle  flash  of  his  piercing  eye  spoke  of  the 
world  alone  and  the  field  of  conflict. 

The  Baron  bowed  low  to  the  Abbot,  and  said  :  Wel- 
come, my  Lord  Abbot,  to  my  humble  domicile  !  It 
has  long  been  the  wish  of  my  enemies  to  stand  within 
its  walls,  and  this  pleasure  is  now  granted  you.  There 
is  little  to  be  made  of  it  from  without." 


CONVERTED  191 

"  Baron  Grunewald,"  said  the  Abbot,  "  I  and  my 
brethren  are  come  hither  on  an  errand  of  mercy,  and 
under  the  protection  of  your  knightly  word." 

The  Baron  raised  his  eyebrows  in  surprise  at  this, 
and,  turning  to  Segfried,  he  said  in  angry  tones  :  "  Is 
it  so  ?  Pledged  you  my  word  for  the  safety  of  these 
men?  " 

"  The  reverend  Abbot  is  mistaken,"  replied  the 
knight,  who  had  not  yet  descended  from  his  horse. 
"  There  was  no  word  of  safe  conduct  between  us." 

"  Safe  conduct  is  implied  when  an  officer  of  the 
Church  is  summoned  to  administer  its  consolations  to 
the  dying,"  said  the  Abbot. 

"  All  trades,"  remarked  the  Baron  suavely.  "  have 
their  dangers — yours  among  the  rest,  as  well  as  ours. 
If  my  follower  had  pledged  my  word  regarding  your 
safety,  I  would  now  open  the  gates  and  let  you  free. 
As  he  has  not  done  so,  I  shall  choose  a  manner  for 
your  exit  more  in  keeping  with  your  lofty  aspirations." 

Saying  this,  he  gave  some  rapid  orders  ;  his  servitors 
fell  upon  the  unresisting  monks  and  bound  them  hand 
and  foot.  They  were  then  conducted  to  the  northern 
wall,  and  the  nooses  there  adjusted  round  the  neck  of 
each.  When  this  was  done,  the  Baron  stood  back  from 
the  pinioned  victims  and  addressed  them  : 

"  It  is  not  my  intention  that  you  should  die  without 
having  time  to  repent  of  the  many  wicked  deeds  you 
have  doubtless  done  during  your  lives.  Your  sentence 
is  that  ye  be  hanged  at  cockcrow  to-morrow,  which  was 
the  hour  when,  if  your  teachings  cling  to  my  memory, 
the  first  of  your  craft  turned  traitor  to  his  master.  If, 
however,  you  tire  of  your  all-night  vigil,  you  can  at 
once  obtain  release  by  crying  at  the  top  of  your  voices 
'  So  die  all  Christians.'  Thus  you  will  hang  your- 


I92  THE  STRONG  ARM 

selves,  and  so  remove  some  responsibility  from  my 
perhaps  overladen  conscience.  The  hanging  is  a  device 
of  my  own,  of  which  I  am  perhaps  pardonably  proud, 
and  it  pleases  me  that  it  is  to  be  first  tried  on  so  worthy 
an  assemblage.  With  much  labour  we  have  elevated  to 
the  battlements  an  oaken  tree,  lopped  of  its  branches, 
which  will  not  burn  the  less  brightly  next  winter  in  that 
it  has  helped  to  commit  some  of  you  to  hotter  flames, 
if  all  ye  say  be  true.  The.  ropes  are  tied  to  this  log, 
and  at  the  cry  '  So  die  all  Christians,'  I  have  some 
stout  knaves  in  waiting  up  above  with  levers,  who  will 
straightway  fling  the  log  over  the  battlements  on  which 
it  is  now  poised,  and  the  instant  after  your  broken 
necks  will  impinge  against  the  inner  coping  of  the 
northern  wall.  And  now  good-night,  my  Lord  Abbot, 
and  a  happy  release  for  you  all  in  the  morning." 

"  Baron  von  Grunewald,  I  ask  of  you  that  you  will 
release  one  of  us  who  may  thus  administer  the  rites  of 
the  Church  to  his  brethren  and  receive  in  turn  the  same 
from  me." 

"  Now,  out  upon  me  for  a  careless  knave  !  "  cried  the 
Baron.  "  I  had  forgotten  that ;  it  is  so  long  since  I 
have  been  to  mass  and  such  like  ceremonies  myself. 
Your  request  is  surely  most  reasonable,  and  I  like  you 
the  better  that  you  keep  up  the  farce  of  your  calling  to 
the  very  end.  But  think  not  that  I  am  so  inhospitable 
as  to  force  one  guest  to  wait  upon  another,  even  in 
matters  spiritual.  Not  so.  We  keep  with  us  a  ghostly 
father  for  such  occasions,  and  use  him  between  times  to 
wait  on  us  with  wine  and  other  necessaries.  As  soon 
as  he  has  filled  our  flagons,  I  will  ask  good  Father 
Gottlieb  to  wait  upon  you,  and  I  doubt  not  he  will 
shrive  with  any  in  the  land,  although  he  has  been  this 
while  back  somewhat  out  of  practice.  His  habit  is 


CONVERTED  193 

rather  tattered  and  stained  with  the  drippings  of  his 
new  vocation,  but  I  warrant  you,  you  will  know  the 
sheep,  even  though  his  fleece  be  torn.  And  now,  again, 
good-night,  my  Lord." 

The  Baron  and  his  knights  returned  up  the  broad 
stairway  that  led  to  the  Rittersaal.  Most  of  the 
torches  were  carried  with  them.  The  defences  of  the 
castle  were  so  strong  that  no  particular  pains  were  taken 
to  make  all  secure,  further  than  the  stationing  of  an 
armed  man  at  the  gate.  A  solitary  torch  burnt  under 
the  archway,  and  here  a  guard  paced  back  and  forth. 
The  courtyard  was  in  darkness,  but  the  top  of  the 
highest  turrets  were  silvered  by  the  rising  moon.  The 
doomed  men  stood  with  the  halters  about  their  necks, 
as  silent  as  a  row  of  spectres. 

The  tall  windows  of  the  Rittersaal,  being  of  coloured 
glass,  threw  little  light  into  the  square,  although  they 
glowed  with  a  rainbow  splendour  from  the  torches  within. 
Into  the  silence  of  the  square  broke  the  sound  of  song 
and  the  clash  of  flagons  upon  the  oaken  table. 

At  last  there  came  down  the  broad  stair  and  out  into 
the  court  a  figure  in  the  habit  of  a  monk,  who  hurried 
shufflingly  across  the  stones  to  the  grim  row  of  brown- 
robed  men.  He  threw  himself  sobbing  at  the  feet  of 
the  tall  Abbot. 

"  Rise,  my  son,  and  embrace  me,"  said  his  superior. 

When  Father  Gottlieb  did  so,  the  other  whispered  in 
his  ear  :  "  There  is  a  time  to  weep  and  a  time  for  action. 
Now  is  the  time  for  action.  Unloosen  quickly  the 
bonds  around  me,  and  slip  this  noose  from  my  neck." 

Father  Gottlieb  acquitted  himself  of  his  task  as  well 
as  his  agitation  and  trembling  hands  would  let  him. 

"  Perform  a  like  service  for  each  of  the  others," 
whispered  the  Abbot  curtly.  "  Tell  each  in  alow  voice 
'3 


194  THE  STRONG  ARM 

to  remain  standing  just  as  if  he  were  still  bound.  Then 
return  to  me." 

When  the  monk  had  done  what  he  was  told,  he 
returned  to  his  superior. 

"  Have  you  access  to  the  wine  cellar  ?  "  asked  the 
Abbot. 

"  Yes,  Father." 

"  What  are  the  strongest  wines  ?  " 

"  Those  of  the  district  are  strong.  Then  there  is  a 
barrel  or  two  of  the  red  wine  of  Assmannshausen." 

"  Decant  a  half  of  each  in  your  flagons.  Is  there 
brandy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Father." 

"  Then  mix  with  the  two  wines  as  much  brandy  as 
you  think  their  already  drunken  palates  will  not  detect. 
Make  the  potation  stronger  with  brandy  as  the  night 
wears  on.  When  they  drop  off  into  their  sodden  sleep, 
bring  a  flagon  to  the  guard  at  the  gate,  and  tell  h;m 
the  Baron  sends  it  to  him." 

"  Will  you  absolve  me,  Father,  for  the — 

"  It  is  no  falsehood,  Gottlieb.  I,  the  Baron,  send  it. 
I  came  hither  the  Abbot  Ambrose  ;  I  am  now  Baron 
von  Stern,  and  if  I  have  any  influence  with  our  mother 
Church  the  Abbot's  robe  shall  fall  on  thy  shoulders,  if 
you  but  do  well  what  I  ask  of  you  to-night.  It  will  be 
some  compensation  for  what,  I  fear,  thou  hast  already 
suffered." 

Gottlieb  hurried  away,  as  the  knights  were  already 
clamouring  for  more  wine.  As  the  night  wore  on  and 
the  moon  rose  higher  the  sounds  of  revelry  increased, 
and  once  there  was  a  clash  of  arms  and  much  uproar, 
which  subsided  under  the  over-mastering  voice  of  the 
Black  Baron.  At  last  the  Abbot,  standing  there  with 
the  rope  dangling  behind  him,  saw  Gottlieb  bring  a 


CONVERTED  195 

huge  beaker  of  liquor  to  the  sentinel,  who  at  once  sat 
down  on  the  stone  bench  under  the  arch  to  enjoy  it. 

Finally,  all  riot  died  away  in  the  hall  except  one  thin 
voice  singing,  waveringly,  a  drinking  song,  and  when 
that  ceased  silence  reigned  supreme,  and  the  moon 
shone  full  upon  the  bubbling  spring. 

Gottlieb  stole  stealthily  out  and  told  the  Abbot 
that  all  the  knights  were  stretched  upon  the  floor,  and 
the  Baron  had  his  head  on  the  table,  beside  his  over- 
turned flagon.  The  sentinel  snored  upon  the  stone 
bench. 

"  I  can  now  unbar  the  gate,"  said  Father  Gottlieb, 
"  and  we  may  all  escape." 

"  Not  so,"  replied  the  Abbot.  "  We  came  to  con- 
vert these  men  to  Christianity,  and  our  task  is  still  to 
do." 

The  monks  all  seemed  frightened  at  this,  and  wished 
themselves  once  more  within  the  monastery,  able  to 
say  all's  well  that  ends  so,  but  none  ventured  to  offer 
counsel  to  the  gaunt  man  who  led  them.  He  bade 
each  bring  with  him  the  cords  that  had  bound  him,  and 
without  a  word  they  followed  him  into  the  Rittersaal, 
and  there  tied  up  the  knights  and  their  master  as  they 
themselves  had  been  tied. 

"  Carry  them  out,"  commanded  the  Abbot,  "  and  lay 
them  in  a  row,  their  feet  towards  the  spring  and  their 
heads  under  the  ropes.  And  go  you,  Gottlieb,  who 
know  the  ways  of  the  castle,  and  fasten  the  doors  of 
all  the  apartments  where  the  servitors  are  sleeping." 

When  this  was  done,  and  they  gathered  once  more 
in  the  moonlit  courtyard,  the  Abbot  took  off  his  robes 
of  office  and  handed  them  to  Father  Gottlieb,  saying 
significantly :  "  The  lowest  among  you  that  suffers  and 
is  true  shall  be  exalted."  Turning  to  his  own  flock,  he 


196  THE  STRONG  ARM 

commanded  them  to  go  in  and  obtain  some  rest  after 
such  a  disquieting  night ;  then  to  Gottlieb,  when  the 
monks  had  obediently  departed :  "  Bring  me,  an'  ye 
know  where  to  find  such,  the  apparel  of  a  fighting  man 
and  a  sword." 

Thus  arrayed,  he  dismissed  the  old  man,  and  alone 
in  the  silence,  with  the  row  of  figures  like  effigies  on  a 
tomb  beside  him,  paced  up  and  down  through  the  night, 
as  the  moon  dropped  lower  and  lower  in  the  heavens. 
There  was  a  period  of  dark  before  the  dawn,  and  at 
last  the  upper  walls  began  to  whiten  with  the  coming 
day,  and  the  Black  Baron  moaned  uneasily  in  his 
drunken  sleep.  The  Abbot  paused  in  his  walk  and 
looked  down  upon  them,  and  Gottlieb  stole  out  from 
the  shadow  of  the  door  and  asked  if  he  could  be  of 
service.  He  had  evidently  not  slept,  but  had  watched 
his  chief,  until  he  paused  in  his  march. 

"  Tell  our  brothers  to  come  out  and  see  the  justice 
of  the  Lord." 

When  the  monks  trooped  out,  haggard  and  wan,  in 
the  pure  light  of  the  dawn,  the  Abbot  asked  Gottlieb 
to  get  a  flagon  and  dash  water  from  the  spring  in  the 
faces  of  the  sleepers. 

The  Black  Baron  was  the  first  to  come  to  his  senses 
and  realise  dimly,  at  first,  but  afterwards  more  acutely, 
the  changed  condition  of  affairs.  His  eye  wandered 
apprehensively  to  the  empty  noose  swaying  slightly  in 
the  morning  breeze  above  hirrv,  He  then  saw  that  the 
tall,  ascetic  man  before  him*  had  doffed  the  Abbot's 
robes  and  wore  a  sword  by  fiis  side,  and  from  this  he 
augured  ill.  At  the  command  of  the  Abbot  the  monks 
raised  each  prostrate  man  and  placed  him  against  the 
north  wall. 

"  Gottlieb,"  said  the  Abbot  slowly,  "  the  last  office 


CONVERTED  197 

that  will  be  required  of  you.  You  took  from  our  necks 
the  nooses  last  night.  Place  them,  I  pray  you,  on  the 
necks  of  the  Baron  and  his  followers." 

The  old  man,  trembling,  adjusted  the  ropes. 

"  My  Lord  Abbot —     "  began  the  Baron. 

"  Baron  von  Grunewald,"  interrupted  the  person  ad- 
dressed, "  the  Abbot  Ambrose  is  dead.  He  was  foully 
assassinated  last  night.  In  his  place  stands  Conrad 
von  Stern,  who  answers  for  his  deeds  to  the  Emperor, 
and  after  him,  to  God." 

"  Is  it  your  purpose  to  hang  me,  Baron  ?  " 

"  Was  it  your  purpose  to  have  hanged  us,  my  Lord  ?  " 

"  I  swear  to  heaven,  it  was  not.  'Twas  but  an  ill- 
timed  pleasantry.  Had  I  wished  to  hang  you  I  would 
have  done  so  last  night." 

"  That  seems  plausible." 

The  knights  all  swore,  with  many  rounded  oaths, 
that  their  over-lord  spoke  the  truth,  and  nothing  was 
further  from  their  intention  than  an  execution. 

"  Well,  then,  whether  you  hang  or  no  shall  depend 
upon  yourselves." 

"  By  God,  then,"  cried  the  Baron,  "  an'  I  have  aught 
to  say  on  that  point,  I  shall  hang  some  other  day." 

"  Will  you  then,  Baron,  beg  admittance  to  Mother 
Church,  whose  kindly  tenets  you  have  so  long  out- 
raged ?  " 

"  We  will,  we  do,"  cried  the  Baron  fervently,  whis- 
pering through  his  clenched  teeth  to  Segfried,  who 
stood  next  him  :  "  Wait  till  I  have  the  upper  hand 
again."  Fortunately  the  Abbot  did  not  hear  the  whis- 
per. The  knights  all  echoed  aloud  the  Baron's  pious 
first  remark,  and,  perhaps,  in  their  hearts  said  "  Amen  " 
to  his  second. 

The  Abbot  spoke  a  word  or  two  to  the  monks,  and 


198  THE  STRONG  ARM 

they  advanced  to  the  pinioned  men  and  there  performed 
the  rites  sacred  to  their  office  and  to  the  serious  situa- 
tion of  the  penitents.  As  the  good  brothers  stood 
back,  they  begged  the  Abbot  for  mercy  to  be  extended 
towards  the  new  converts,  but  the  sphinx-like  face  of 
their  leader  gave  no  indication  as  to  their  fate,  and  the 
good  men  began  to  fear  that  it  was  the  Abbot's  inten- 
tion to  hang  the  Baron  and  his  knights. 

"  Now — brothers,"  said  the  Abbot,  with  a  long  pause 
before  he  spoke  the  second  word,  whereupon  each  of 
the  prisoners  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief,  "  I  said  your  fate 
would  depend  on  yourselves  and  on  your  good  intent." 

They  all  vociferously  proclaimed  that  their  inten- 
tions were  and  had  been  of  the  most  honourable  kind. 

"  I  trust  that  is  true,  and  that  you  shall  live  long 
enough  to  show  your  faith  by  your  works.  It  is  writ- 
ten that  a  man  digged  a  pit  for  his  enemy  and  fell  him- 
self therein.  It  is  also  written  that  as  a  man  sows,  so 
shall  he  reap.  If  you  meant  us  no  harm  then  your 
signal  shouted  to  the  battlements  will  do  you  no  harm." 

"  For  God's  sake,  my  Lord  ..."  screamed  the 
Baron.  The  Abbot,  unheeding,  raised  his  face  towards 
the  northern  wall  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice : 

"  So  die  SUCH  Christians!"  varying  the  phrase  by 
one  word.  A  simultaneous  scream  rose  from  the 
doomed  men,  cut  short  as  by  a  knife,  as  the  huge  log 
was  hurled  over  the  outer  parapet,  and  the  seventeen 
victims  were  jerked  into  the  air  and  throttled  at  the 
coping  around  the  inner  wall. 

Thus  did  the  Abbot  Ambrose  save  the  souls  of  Baron 
von  Grunewald  and  his  men,  at  some  expense  to  their 
necks. 


AN  INVITATION 

THE  proud  and  warlike  Archbishop  Baldwin  of 
Treves  was  well  mounted,  and,  although  the  road  by 
the  margin  of  the  river  was  in  places  bad,  the  august 
horseman  nevertheless  made  good  progress  along  it, 
for  he  had  a  long  distance  to  travel  before  the  sun 
went  down.  The  way  had  been  rudely  constructed  by 
that  great  maker  of  roads — the  army — and  the  troops 
who  had  built  it  did  not  know,  when  they  laboured  at 
it,  that  they  were  preparing  a  path  for  their  own 
retreat  should  disaster  overtake  them.  The  grim  and 
silent  horseman  had  been  the  brains,  where  the  troops 
were  the  limbs;  this  thoroughfare  had  been  of  his 
planning,  and  over  it,  back  into  Treves,  had  returned  a 
victorious,  not  a  defeated,  army.  The  iron  hand  of  the 
Archbishop  had  come  down  on  every  truculent  noble 
in  the  land,  and  every  castle  gate  that  had  not  opened 
to  him  through  fear,  had  been  battered  in  by  force. 
Peace  now  spread  her  white  wings  over  all  the  country, 
and  where  opposition  to  his  Lordship's  stubborn  will 
had  been  the  strongest,  there  was  silence  as  well,  with, 
perhaps,  a  thin  wreath  of  blue  smoke  hovering  over 
the  blackened  walls.  The  provinces  on  each  bank  of 
the  Moselle  from  Treves  to  the  Rhine  now  acknowl- 
edged Baldwin  their  over-lord — a  suzerainty  technically 

claimed  by  his  Lordship's  predecessors — but  the  iron 

199 


200  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Archbishop  had  changed  the  nominal  into.-the  actual, 
and  it  had  taken  some  hard  knocks  to  do  it.  His 
present  journey  was  well  earned,  for  he  was  betaking 
himself  from  his  more  formal  and  exacting  Court  at 
Treves  to  his  summer  palace  at  Cochem,  there  to  rest 
from  the  fatigues  of  a  campaign  in  which  he  had  used 
not  only  his  brain,  but  his  good  right  arm  as  well. 

The  palace  which  was  to  be  the  end  of  his  journey 
was  in  some  respects  admirably  suited  to  its  master, 
for,  standing  on  an  eminence  high  above  Cochem,  with 
its  score  of  pinnacles  glittering  in  the  sun,  it  seemed, 
to  one  below,  a  light  and  airy  structure ;  but  it  was  in 
reality  aiprtress  almost  impregnable,  and  three  hundred 
years  later  it  sent  into  a  less  turbulent  sphere  the  souls 
of  one  thousand  six  hundred  Frenchmen  before  its  flag 
was  lowered  to  the  enemy. 

The  personal  appearance  of  the  Archbishop  and  the 
smallness  of  his  escort  were  practical  illustrations  of 
the  fact  that  the  land  was  at  peace,  and  that  he  was 
master  of  it.  His  attire  was  neither  clerical  nor  warlike, 
but  rather  that  of  a  nobleman  riding  abroad  where  no 
enemy  could  possibly  lurk.  He  was  to  all  appearance 
unarmed,  and  had  no  protection  save  a  light  chain  mail 
jacket  of  bright  steel,  which  was  worn  over  his  vesture, 
and  not  concealed  as  was  the  custom.  This  jacket 
sparkled  in  the  sun  as  if  it  were  woven  of  fine  threads 
strung  with  small  and  innumerable  diamonds.  It  might 
ward  off  a  dagger  thrust,  or  turn  aside  a  half-spent 
arrow,  but  it  was  too  light  to  be  of  much  service  against 
sword  or  pike.  The  Archbishop  was  well  mounted  on 
a  powerful  black  charger  that  had  carried  him  through 
many  a  hot  contest,  and  it  now  made  little  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  ill-constructed  road,  putting  the  other 
horses  on  their  mettle  to  equal  the  pace  set  to  them. 


AN  INVITATION  201 

The  escort  consisted  of  twelve  men,  all  lightly  armed, 
for  Gottlieb,  the  monk,  who  rode  sometimes  by  the 
Archbishop's  side,  but  more  often  behind  him,  could 
hardly  be  counted  as  a  combatant  should  deferice 
become  necessary.  When  the  Archbishop  left  Treves 
his  oldest  general  had  advised  his  taking  an  escort  of  a 
thousand  men  at  least,  putting  it  on  the  ground  that 
such  a  number  was  necessary  to  uphold  the  dignity  of 
his  office ;  but  Baldwin  smiled  darkly,  and  said  that 
where  he  rode  the  dignity  of  the  Electorship  would  be 
safe,  even  though  none  rode  beside  or  behind  him. 
Few  dared  offer  advice  to  the  Elector,  but  the  bluff 
general  persisted,  and  spoke  of  danger  in  riding  down 
the  Moselle  valley  with  so  small  a  following. 

"  Who  is  there  left  to  molest  me  ?  "  asked  the  Arch- 
bishop ;  and  the  general  was  forced  to  admit  that  there 
was  none. 

An  army  builds  a  road  along  the  line  of  the  least  re- 
sistance ;  and  often,  when  a  promontory  thrust  its  rocky 
nose  into  the  river,  the  way  led  up  the  hill  through  the 
forest,  getting  back  into  the  valley  again  as  best  it 
could.  During  these  inland  excursions,  the  monk, 
evidently  unused  to  equestrianism,  fell  behind,  and 
sometimes  the  whole  troop  was  halted  by  command  of 
its  chief,  until  Gottlieb,  clinging  to  his  horse's  mane, 
emerged  from  the  thicket,  the  Archbishop  curbing  the 
impatience  of  his  charger  and  watching,  with  a  cynical 
smile  curling  his  stern  lips,  the  reappearance  of  the 
good  father. 

After  one  of  the  most  laborious  ascents  and  descents 
they  had  encountered  that  day,  the  Archbishop  waited 
for  the  monk ;  and  when  he  came  up  with  his  leader, 
panting  and  somewhat  dishevelled,  the  latter  said, 
"  There  appears  to  be  a  lesson  in  your  tribulations 


\ 

202  THE  STRONG  ARM 

which  hereafter  you  may  retail  with  profit  to  your 
flock,  relating  how  a  good  man  leaving  the  right  and 
beaten  path  and  following  his  own  devices  in  the  wil- 
derness may  bring  discomfiture  upon  himself." 

"  The  lesson  it  conveys  to  me,  my  Lord,"  said  the 
monk,  drily,  "  is  that  a  man  is  but  a  fool  to  leave  the 
stability  of  good  stout  sandals  with  which  he  is  accus- 
tomed, to  venture  his  body  on  a  horse  that  pays  little 
heed  to  his  wishes." 

"  This  is  our  last  detour,"  replied  the  Elector;  "  there 
^  are  now  many  miles  of  winding  but  level  road  before 
us,  and  you  have  thus  a  chance  to  retrieve  your  repu- 
tation as  a  horseman  in  the  eyes  of  our  troop." 

"  In  truth,  my  Lord,  I  never  boasted  of  it,"  returned 
the  monk,  "  but  I  am  right  glad  to  learn  that  the  way 
will  be  less  mountainous.  To  what  district  have  we 
penetrated  ?  " 

"  Above  us,  but  unseen  from  this  bank  of  the  river, 
is  the  castle  of  the  Widow  Starkenburg.  Her  days 
of  widowhood,  however,  are  nearly  passed,  for  I  intend 
to  'marry  her  to  one  of  my  victorious  knights,  who  will 
hold  the  castle  for  me." 

"The  Countess  of  Starkenburg,"  said  the  monk, 
"  must  surely  now  be  at  an  age  when  the  thoughts  turn 
toward  Heaven  rather  than  toward  matrimony." 

"  I  have  yet  to  meet  the  woman,"  replied  the  Arch- 
bishop, gazing  upward,  "  who  pleads  old  age  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  turning  away  from  a  suitable  lover.  It  is  thy 
misfortune,  Gottlieb,  that  in  choosing  a  woollen  cowl 
rather  than  an  iron  head-piece,  thou  should'st  thus  have 
lost  a  chance  of  advancement.  The  castle,  I  am  told, 
has  well-filled  wine  vaults,  and  old  age  in  wine  is 
doubtless  more  to  thy  taste  than  the  same  quality  in 
woman.  'Tis  a  pity  thou  art  not  a  knight,  Gottlieb." 


AN  INVITATION  203 

"  The  fault  is  not  beyond  the  power  of  our  Holy 
Father  to  remedy  by  special  dispensation,"  replied  the 
monk,  with  a  chuckle. 

The  Elector  laughed  silently,  and  looked  down  on 
his  comrade  in  kindly  fashion,  shaking  his  head. 

"  The  wines  of  Castle  Starkenburg  are  not  for  thy 
appreciative  palate,  ghostly  father.  I  have  already 
selected  a  mate  for  the  widow." 

"And  what  if  thy  selection  jumps  not  with  her 
approval.  They  tell  me  the  countess  has  a  will  of  her 
own." 

"  It  matters  little  to  me,  and  I  give  her  the  choice 
merely  because  I  am  loth  to  war  with  a  woman.  The 
castle  commands  the  river  and  holds  the  district.  The 
widow  may  give  it  up  peaceably  at  the  altar,  or  forcibly 
at  the  point  of  the  sword,  whichever  method  most  com- 
mends itself  to  her  ladyship.  The  castle  must  be  in  the 
command  of  one  whom  I  can  trust." 

The  conversation  here  met  a  startling  interruption. 
The  Archbishop  and  his  guard  were  trotting  rapidly 
round  a  promontory  and  following  a  bend  of  the  river, 
the  nature  of  the  country  being  such  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  see  many  hundred  feet  ahead  of  them. 
Suddenly,  they  came  upon  a  troop  of  armed  and 
mounted  men,  standing  like  statues  before  them.  The 
troop  numbered  an  even  score,  and  completely  filled 
the  way  between  the  precipice  on  their  left  and  the 
stream  on  their  right.  Although  armed,  every  sword 
was  in  its  scabbard,  with  the  exception  of  the  long  two- 
handed  weapon  of  the  leader,  who  stood  a  few  paces  in 
advance  of  his  men,  with  the  point  of  his  sword  resting 
on  the  ground.  The  black  horse,  old  in  campaigns, 
recognised  danger  ahead,  and  stopped  instantly,  with- 
out waiting  for  the  drawing  of  the  rein,  planting  his 


204  THE  STRONG  ARM 

two  forefeet  firmly  in  front,  with  a  suddenness  of  action 
that  would  have  unhorsed  a  less  alert  rider.  Before 
the  archbishop  could  question  the  silent  host  that 
barred  his  way,  their  leader  raised  his  long  sword  until 
it  was  poised  perpendicularly  in  the  air  above  his  head, 
and,  with  a  loud  voice,  in  measured  tones,  as  one  repeats 
a  lesson  he  has  learned  by  rote,  he  cried,  "  My  Lord 
Archbishop  of  Treves,  the  Countess  Laurette  von 
Starkenburg  invites  you  to  sup  with  her." 

In  the  silence  that  followed,  the  leader's  sword  still 
remained  uplifted  untrembling  in  the  air.  Across  the 
narrow  gorge,  from  the  wooded  sides  of  the  opposite 
mountains,  came,  with  mocking  cadence,  the  echo  of 
the  last  words  of  the  invitation,  clear  and  distinct,  as  if 
spoken  again  by  some  one  concealed  in  the  further 
forest.  A  deep  frown  darkened  the  brow  of  the  fight- 
ing archbishop. 

"  The  Countess  is  most  kind,"  he  said,  slowly. 
"  Convey  to  her  my  respectful  admiration,  and  ex- 
press my  deep  regret  that  I  am  unable  to  accept 
her  hospitality,  as  I  ride  to-night  to  my  Castle  at 
Cochem." 

The  leader  of  the  opposing  host  suddenly  lowered 
his  upraised  sword,  as  if  in  salute,  but  the  motion 
seemed  to  be  a  preconcerted  signal,  for  every  man 
behind  him  instantly  whipped  blade  from  scabbard,  and 
stood  there  with  naked  weapon  displayed.  The  leader, 
raising  his  sword  once  more  to  its  former  position, 
repeated  in  the  same  loud  and  monotonous  voice,  as  if 
the  archbishop  had  not  spoken.  "  My  Lord  Arch- 
bishop of  Treves,  the  Countess  Laurette  von  Starken- 
burg invites  you  to  sup  with  her." 

The  intelligent  war-horse,  who  had  regarded  the 
obstructing  force  with  head  held  high,  retreated  slowly 


AN  INVITATION  205 

step  by  step,  until  now  a  considerable  distance  separated 
the  two  companies.  The  captain  of  the  guard  had  seen 
from  the  first  that  attack  or  defence  was  equally  useless, 
and,  with  his  men,  had  also  given  way  gradually  as  the 
strange  colloquy  went  on.  Whether  any  of  the  oppos- 
ing force  noticed  this  or  not,  they  made  no  attempt  to 
recover  the  ground  thus  almost  imperceptibly  stolen 
from  them,  but  stood  as  if  each  horse  were  rooted  to 
the  spot. 

Baldwin  the  Fighter,  whose  compressed  lips  showed 
how  loth  he  was  to  turn  his  back  upon  any  foe,  never- 
theless saw  the  futility  of  resistance,  and  in  a  quick, 
clear  whisper,  he  said,  hastily,  "  Back  !  Back  !  If  we 
cannot  fight  them,  we  can  at  least  out-race  them." 

The  good  monk  had  taken  advantage  of  his  privilege 
as  a  non-combatant  to  retreat  well  to  the  rear  while  the 
invitation  was  being  given  and  declined,  and  in  the  suc- 
ceeding flight  found  himself  leading  the  van.  The  cap- 
tain of  the  guard  threw  himself  between  the  Starken- 
burg  men  and  the  prince  of  the  Church,  but  the  former 
made  no  effort  at  pursuit,  standing  motionless  as  they 
had  done  from  the  first  until  the  rounding  promontory 
hid  them  from  view.  Suddenly,  the  horse  on  which 
the  monk  rode  stood  stock  still,  and  its  worthy  rider, 
with  a  cry  of  alarm,  clinging  to  the  animal's  mane,  shot 
over  its  head  and  came  heavily  to  the  ground.  The 
whole  flying  troop  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  for  there 
ahead  of  them  was  a  band  exactly  similar  in  numbers 
and  appearance  to  that  from  which  they  were  galloping. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  same  company  had  been  transported 
by  magic  over  the  promontory  and  placed  across  the 
way.  The  sun  shone  on  the  uplifted  blade  of  the 
leader,  reminding  the  archbishop  of  the  flaming  sword 
that  barred  the  entrance  of  our  first  parents  to  Paradise. 


206  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  leader,  with  ringing  voice,  that  had  a  touch  of 
menace  in  it,  cried  : 

"  My  Lord  Archbishop  of  Treves,  the  Countess 
Laurette  von  Starkenburg  invites  you  to  sup  with 
her.". 

"  Trapped,  by  God  !  "  muttered  the  Elector  between 
his  clinched  teeth.  His  eyes  sparkled  with  anger,  and 
the  sinister  light  that  shot  from  them  had  before  now 
made  the  Emperor  quail.  He  spurred  his  horse  toward 
the  leader,  who  lowered  his  sword  and  bowed  to  the 
great  dignitary  approaching  him. 

"  The  Countess  of  Starkenburg  is  my  vassal,"  cried 
the  Archbishop.  "You  are  her  servant ;  and  in  much 
greater  degree,  therefore,  are  you  mine.  I  command 
you  to  let  us  pass  unmolested  on  our  way ;  refuse  at 
your  peril." 

"  A  servant,"  said  the  man,  slowly,  "  obeys  the  one 
directly  above  him,  and  leaves  that  one  to  account  to 
any  superior  authority.  My  men  obey  me  ;  I  take  my 
orders  from  my  lady  the  countess.  If  you,  my  Lord, 
wish  to  direct  the  authority  which  commands  me,  my 
lady  the  countess  awaits  your  pleasure  at  her  castle  of 
Starkenburg." 

"  What  are  your  orders,  fellow  ?  "  asked  the  Arch- 
bishop, in  a  calmer  tone. 

"  To  convey  your  Lordship  without  scathe  to  the  gates 
of  Starkenburg." 

"  And  if  you  meet  resistance,  what  then  ?  " 

"  The  orders  stand,  my  Lord." 

"  You  will,  I  trust,  allow  this  mendicant  monk  to  pass 
peaceably  on  his  way  to  Treves." 

"  In  no  castle  on  the  Moselle  does  even  the  humblest 
servant  of  the  Church  receive  a  warmer  welcome  than 
at  Starkenburg.  My  lady  would  hold  me  to  blame 


AN  INVITATION  207 

were  she  prevented  from  offering  her  hospitality  to  the 
mendicant." 

"  Does  the  same  generous  impulse  extend  to  each  of 
my  followers  ?  " 

"  It  includes  them  all,  my  Lord." 

"  Very  well.  We  will  do  ourselves  the  honour  of  wait- 
ing upon  this  most  bountiful  hostess." 

By  this  time  the  troop  which  had  first  stopped  the 
Archbishop's  progress  came  slowly  up,  and  the  little 
body-guard  of  the  Elector  found  themselves  hemmed 
in  with  twenty  men  in  the  front  and  twenty  at  the  rear, 
while  the  rocky  precipice  rose  on  one  hand  and  the 
rapid  river  flowed  on  the  other. 

The  cortege  reformed  and  trotted  gently  down  the 
road  until  it  came  to  a  by-way  leading  up  the  hill.  Into 
this  by-way  the  leaders  turned,  reducing  their  trot  to  a 
walk  because  of  the  steepness  of  the  ascent.  The  Arch- 
bishop and  his  men  followed,  with  the  second  troop  of 
Starkenburg  bringing  up  the  rear.  His  Lordship  rode 
at  first  in  sullen  silence,  then  with  a  quick  glance  of  his 
eye  he  summoned  the  captain  to  his  side.  He  slipped 
the  ring  of  office  from  his  finger  and  passed  it  unper- 
ceived  into  the  officer's  hand. 

"  There  will  be  some  confusion  at  the  gate,"  he  said, 
in  a  low  voice.  "  Escape  then  if  you  can.  Ride  for 
Treves  as  you  never  rode  before.  Stop  not  to  fight 
with  any ;  everything  depends  on  outstripping  pursuit. 
Take  what  horses  you  need  wherever  you  find  them, 
and  kill  them  all  if  necessary,  but  stop  for  nothing. 
This  ring  will  be  warrant  for  whatever  you  do.  Tell 
my  general  to  invest  this  castle  instantly  with  ten  thou- 
sand men  and  press  forward  the  siege  regardless  of  my 
fate.  Tell  him  to  leave  not  one  stone  standing  upon 
another,  and  to  hang  the  widow  of  Starkenburg  from 


208  THE  STRONG  ARM 

her  own  blazing  timbers.  Succeed,  and  a  knighthood 
and  the  command  of  a  thousand  men  awaits  you." 

"I  will  succeed  or  die,  my  Lord." 

"Succeed  and  live,"  said  the  Archbishop,  shortly. 

As  the  horses  slowly  laboured  up  the  zigzagging  road, 
the  view  along  the  silvery  Moselle  widened  and  ex- 
tended, and  at  last  the  strong  grey  walls  of  the  castle 
came  into  sight,  with  the  ample  gates  wide  open.  The 
horsemen  in  front  drew  up  in  two  lines  on  each  side  of 
the  gates  without  entering,  and  thus  the  Archbishop,  at 
the  head  of  his  little  band,  slowly  rode  first  under  the 
archway  into  the  courtyard  of  the  castle. 

On  the  stone  steps  that  led  to  the  principal  entrance 
of  the  castle  stood  a  tall,  graceful  lady,  with  her  women 
behind  her.  She  was  robed  in  black,  and  the  head- 
dress of  her  snow-white  hair  gave  her  the  appearance 
of  a  dignified  abbess  at  her  convent  door.  Her  serene 
and  placid  face  had  undoubtedly  once  been  beautiful ; 
and  age,  which  had  left  her  form  as  straight  and  slen- 
der as  one  of  her  own  forest  pines,  forgetting  to  place 
its  customary  burden  upon  her  graceful  shoulders,  had 
touched  her  countenance  with  a  loving  hand.  With 
all  her  womanliness,  there  was,  nevertheless,  a  certain 
firmness  in  the  finely-moulded  chin  that  gave  evidence 
of  a  line  of  ancestry  that  had  never  been  too  deferential 
to  those  in  authority. 

The  stern  Archbishop  reined  in  his  black  charger 
when  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  courtyard,  but  made 
no  motion  to  dismount.  The  lady  came  slowly  down 
the  broad  stone  steps,  followed  by  her  feminine  train, 
and,  approaching  the  Elector,  placed  her  white  hand 
upon  his  stirrup,  in  mute  acknowledgment  of  her  vas- 
salage. 

"  Welcome,  prince  of  the  Church  and  protector  of 


AN  INVITATION  209 

our  Faith,"  she  said.     "  It  is  a  hundred  years  since  my 
poor  house  has  sheltered  so  august  a  guest." 

The  tones  were  smooth  and  soothing  as  the  scarcely 
audible  plash  of  a  distant  fountain;  but  the  incident, 
she  cited  struck  ominously  on  the  Archbishop's  recol- 
lection, rousing  memory  and  causing  him  to  dart  a 
quick  glance  at  the  countess,  in  which  was  blended 
sharp  enquiry  and  awakened  foreboding ;  but  the  lady, 
unconscious  of  his  scrutiny,  stood  with  drooping  head 
and  downcast  eyes,  her  shapely  hand  still  on  his  stirrup- 
iron. 

"  If  I  remember  rightly,  madame,  my  august  prede- 
cessor slept  well  beneath  this  roof." 

"  Alas,  yes !  "  murmured  the  lady,  sadly.  "  We  have 
ever  accounted  it  the  greatest  misfortune  of  our  line, 
that  he  should  have  died  mysteriously  here.  Peace  be 
to  his  soul! " 

"  Not  so  mysteriously,  madame,  but  that  there  were 
some  shrewd  guesses  concerning  his  malady." 

"  That  is  true,  my  Lord,"  replied  the  countess,  simply. 
"  It  was  supposed  that  in  his  camp  upon  the  lowlands 
by  the  river  he  contracted  a  fever  from  which  he  died." 

"  My  journey  by  the  Moselle  has  been  of  the  briefest. 
I  trust,  therefore,  I  have  not  within  me  the  seeds  of  his 
fatal  distemper." 

"  I  most  devoutly  echo  that  trust,  my  Lord,  and  pray 
that  God,  who  watches  over  us  all,  may  guard  your 
health  while  sojourning  here." 

"  Forgive  me,  madame,  if,  within  the  shadow  of  these 
walls,  I  say  '  Amen '  to  your  prayer  with  some  em- 
phasis." 

The  Countess  Laurette  contented  herself  with  bow- 
ing low  and  humbly  crossing  herself,  making  no  verbal 
reply  to  his  Lordship's  remark.     She  then  beseeched 
14 


210  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  Archbishop  to  dismount,  saying  something  of  his 
need  of  rest  and  refreshment,  begging  him  to  allow  her 
to  be  his  guide  to  the  Rittersaal. 

When  the  Archbishop  reached  the  topmost  step  that 
led  to  the  castle  door,  he  cast  an  eye,  not  devoid  of 
anxiety,  over  the  court-yard,  to  see  how  his  following 
had  fared.  The  gates  were  now  fast  closed,  and  forty 
horses  were  ranged  with  their  tails  to  the  wall,  the 
silent  riders  in  their  saddles.  Rapid  as  was  his  glance, 
it  showed  him  his  guard  huddled  together  in  the  centre 
of  the  court,  his  own  black  charger,  with  empty  saddle, 
the  only  living  thing  among  them  that  showed  no  sign 
of  dismay.  Between  two  of  the  hostile  hprsemen  stood 
his  captain,  with  doublet  torn  and  headgear  awry,  evi- 
dently a  discomfited  prisoner. 

The  Archbishop  entered  the  gloomy  castle  with  a 
sense  of  defeat  tugging  down  his  heart  to  a  lower  level 
than  he  had  ever  known  it  to  reach  before ;  for  in  days 
gone  by,  when  fate  had  seemed  to  press  against  him, 
he  had  been  in  the  thick  of  battle,  and  had  felt  an 
exultation  in  rallying  his  half-discouraged  followers, 
who  had  never  failed  to  respond  to  the  call  of  a  born 
leader  of  men.  But  here  he  had  to  encounter  silence, 
with  semi-darkness  over  his  head,  cold  stone  under 
foot,  and  round  him  the  unaccustomed  hiss  of  women's 
skirts. 

The  Countess  conducted  her  guest  through  the  lofty 
Knight's  Hall,  in  which  his  Lordship  saw  preparations 
for  a  banquet  going  forward.  An  arched  passage  led 
them  to  a  small  room  that  seemed  to  be  within  a  turret 
hanging  over  a  precipice,  as  if  it  were  an  eagle's  nest. 
This  room  gave  an  admirable  and  extended  view  over 
the  winding  Moselle  and  much  of  the  surrounding 
country.  On  a  table  were  flagons  of  wine  and  empty 


AN  INVITATION  211 

cups,  together  with  some  light  refection,  upon  all  of 
which  the  Archbishop  looked  with  suspicious  eye.  He 
did  not  forget  the  rumoured  poisoning  of  his  predeces- 
sor in  office.  The  countess  asked  him,  with  deference,- 
to  seat  himself ;  then  pouring  out  a  cup  of  wine,  she 
bowed  to  him  and  drank  it.  Turning  to  rinse  the  cup 
in  a  basin  of  water  which  a  serving-woman  held,  she 
was  interrupted  by  her  guest,  who  now,  for  the  first 
time,  showed  a  trace  of  gallantry. 

"  I  beg  of  you,  madame,"  said  the  Archbishop,  rising; 
and,  taking  the  unwashed  cup  from  her  hand,  he  filled 
it  with  wine,  drinking  prosperity  to  herself  and  her 
home.  Then,,  motioning  her  to  a  chair,  he  said  seating 
himself :  "  Countess  von  Starkenburg,  I  am  a  man 
more  used  to  the  uncouth  rigour  of  a  camp  than  the 
dainty  etiquette  of  a  lady's  boudoir.  Forgive  me, 
then,  if  I  ask  you  plainly,  as  a  plain  man  may,  why  you 
hold  me  prisoner  in  your  castle." 

"  Prisoner,  my  lord  ? "  echoed  the  lady,  with  eye- 
brows raised  in  amazement.  "  How  poorly  are  we 
served  by  our  underlings,  if  such  a  thought  has  been 
conveyed  to  your  lordship's  mind.  I  asked  them  to 
invite  you  hither  with  such  deference  as  a  vassal  should 
hold  toward  an  over-lord.  I  am  grievously  distressed 
to  learn  that  my  commands  have  been  so  ill  obeyed." 

"  Your  commands  were  faithfully  followed,  madame, 
and  I  have  made  no  complaint  regarding  lack  of  defer- 
ence, but  when  two-score  armed  men  carry  a  respectful 
invitation  to  one  having  a  bare  dozen  at  his  back, 
then  all  option  vanishes,  and  compulsion  takes  its 
place." 

"  My  lord,  a  handful  of  men  were  fit  enough  escort 
for  a  neighbouring  baron  should  he  visit  us,  but,  for  a 
prince  of  the  Church,  all  my  retainers  are  but  scanty 


212  THE  STRONG  ARM 

acknowledgment  of  a  vassal's  regard.  I  would  they 
had  been  twenty  thousand,  to  do  you  seemly  honour." 

"  I  am  easily  satisfied,  madame,  and  had  they  been 
fewer  I  might  have  missed  this  charming  outlook.  I 
am  to  understand,  then,  that  you  have  no  demands  to 
make  of  me,  and  that  I  am  free  to  depart,  accompanied 
by  your  good  wishes." 

"  With  my  good  wishes  now  and  always,  surely,  my 
Lord.  I  have  no  demands  to  make — the  word  ill  befits 
the  lips  of  a  humble  vassal ;  but,  being  here — 

"  Ah  !  But,  being  here —  '  interrupted  the  Arch- 
bishop, glancing  keenly  at  her. 

"  I  have  a  favour  to  beg  of  you.  I  wish  to  ask  per- 
mission to  build  a  castle  on  the  heights  above  Trarbach, 
for  my  son." 

"  The  Count  Johann,  third  of  the  name  ?  " 

"  The  same,  my  Lord,  who  is  honoured  by  your  Lord- 
ship's remembrance  of  him." 

"  And  you  wish  to  place  this  stronghold  between 
your  castle  of  Starkenburg  and  my  town  of  Treves  ? 
Were  I  a  suspicious  man,  I  might  imagine  you  had 
some  distrust  of  me." 

"  Not  so,  my  lord.  The  Count  Johann  will  hold  the 
castle  in  your  defence." 

"  I  have  ever  been  accustomed  to  look  to  my  own 
defence,"  said  the  Archbishop,  drily ;  adding,  as  if  it 
were  an  afterthought,  "  with  the  blessing  of  God  upon 
my  poor  efforts." 

The  faintest  suspicion  of  a  smile  hovered  for  an  instant 
on  the  lips  of  the  countess,  that  might  have  been 
likened  to  the  momentary  passing  of  a  gleam  of  sun- 
shine over  the  placid  waters  of  the  river  far  below  ;  for 
she  well  knew,  as  did  all  others,  that  it  was  the  habit 
of  the  fighting  Archbishop  to  smite  sturdily  first,  and 


AN  INVITATION  213 

ask  whatever  blessing  might  be  needed  on  the  blow 
afterwards. 

"The  permission  being  given,  what  follows?" 

"  That  you  will  promise  not  to  molest  me  during  the 
building." 

"  A  natural  corollary.  'Twould  be  little  worth  to 
give  permission  and  then  bring  up  ten  thousand  men 
to  disturb  the  builders.  That  granted,  remains  there 
anything  more  ?  " 

"  I  fear  I  trespass  on  your  Lordship's  patience,  but 
this  is  now  the  end.  A  strong  house  is  never  built 
with  a  weak  purse.  I  do  entreat  your  lordship  to 
cause  to  be  sent  to  me  from  your  treasury  in  Treves 
a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  that  the  castle  may  be  a 
worthy  addition  to  your  province." 

The  Archbishop  arose  with  a  scowl  on  his  face,  and 
paced  the  narrow  limits  of  the  room  like  a  caged  lion. 
The  hot  anger  mounted  to  his  brow  and  reddened  it, 
but  he  strode  up  and  down  until  he  regained  control  of 
himself,  then  spoke  with  a  touch  of  hardness  in  his 
voice  : 

"  A  good  fighter,  madame,  holds  his  strongest  reserves 
to  the  last.  You  have  called  me  a  prince  of  the  Church, 
and  such  I  am.  But  you  flatter  me,  madame ;  you  rate 
me  too  high.  The  founder  of  our  Church,  when  be- 
trayed, was  sold  for  silver,  and  for  a  lesser  number  of 
pieces  than  you  ask  in  gold." 

The  lady,  now  standing,  answered  nothing  to  this 
taunt,  but  the  colour  flushed  her  pale  cheeks. 

"  I  am,  then,  a  prisoner,  and  you  hold  me  for  ran- 
som, but  it  will  avail  you  little.  You  may  close  your 
gates  and  prevent  my  poor  dozen  of  followers  from 
escaping,  but  news  of  this  outrage  will  reach  Treves, 
and  then,  by  God,  your  walls  shall  smoke  for  it.  There 


214  THE  STRONG  ARM 

will  be  none  of  the  Starkenburgs  left,  either  to  kidnap 
or  to  murder  future  archbishops." 

Still  the  lady  stood  silent  and  motionless  as  a  marble 
statue.  The  Elector  paced  up  and  down  for  a  time, 
muttering  to  himself,  then  smote  his  open  palm  against 
a  pillar  of  the  balcony,  and  stood  gazing  on  the  fair 
landscape  of  river  and  rounded  hill  spread  below  and 
around  him.  Suddenly  he  turned  and  looked  at  the 
Countess,  meeting  her  clear,  fearless  grey  eyes,  noticing, 
for  the  first  time,  the  resolute  contour  of  her  finely- 
moulded  chin. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  with  admiration  in  his  tone, 
"  you  are  a  brave  woman.'' 

"  I  am  not  so  brave  as  you  think  me,  my  Lord,"  she 
answered,  coldly.  "  There  is  one  thing  I  dare  not  do. 
I  am  not  brave  enough  to  allow  your  Lordship  to  go 
free,  if  you  refuse  what  I  ask." 

"  And  should  I  not  relent  at  first,  there  are  dungeons 
in  Starkenburg  where  this  proud  spirit,  with  which  my 
enemies  say  I  am  cursed,  will  doubtless  be  humbled." 

"  Not  so,  my  Lord.  You  will  be  treated  with  that 
consideration  which  should  be  shown  to  one  of  your 
exalted  station." 

"  Indeed  !  And  melted  thus  by  kindness,  how  long, 
think  you,  will  the  process  take  ?  " 

"  It  will  be  of  the  shortest,  my  Lord,  for  if,  as  you 
surmise  rumour  should  get  abroad  and  falsely  proclaim 
that  the  Archbishop  lodges  here  against  his  will,  there's 
not  a  flying  baron  or  beggared  knight  in  all  the  land 
but  would  turn  in  his  tracks  and  cry  to  Starkenburg, 
'  In  God's  name,  hold  him,  widow,  till  we  get  our  own 
again ! '  Willingly  would  they  make  the  sum  I  beg  of 
you  an  annual  tribute,  so  they  might  be  certain  your 
Lordship  were  well  housed  in  this  castle." 


AN  INVITATION  215 

"  Widow,  there  is  truth  in  what  you  say,  even  if  a 
woman  hath  spoken  it,"  replied  the  Archbishop,  with  a 
grim  smile  on  his  lips  and  undisguised  admiration 
gleaming  from  his  dark  eye.  "  This  cowardly  world  is 
given  to  taking  advantage  of  a  man  when  opportunity 
offers.  But  there  is  one  point  you  have  not  reckoned 
upon  :  What  of  my  stout  army  lying  at  Treves  ?  " 

"  What  of  the  arch  when  the  keystone  is  withdrawn  ? 
What  of  the  sheep  when  the  shepherd  disappears  ?  My 
Lord,  you  do  yourself  and  your  great  military  gifts  a 
wrong.  Through  my  deep  regard  for  you  I  gave  strict 
command  that  not  even  the  meanest  of  your  train  should 
be  allowed  to  wander  till  all  were  safe  within  these 
gates,  for  I  well  knew  that,  did  but  a  whisper  of  my 
humble  invitation  and  your  gracious  acceptance  of  the 
same  reach  Treves,  it  might  be  misconstrued ;  and  al- 
though some  sturdy  fellows  would  be  true,  and  beat 
their  stupid  heads  against  these  walls,  the  rest  would 
scatter  like  a  sheaf  of  arrows  suddenly  unloosed,  and 
seek  the  strongest  arm  upraised  in  the  melee  sure  to 
follow.  Against  your  army,  leaderless,  I  would  myself 
march  out  at  the  head  of  my  two-score  men  without  a 
tremor  at  my  heart ;  before  that  leader,  alone  and  army- 
less,  I  bow  my  head  with  something  more  akin  to  fear 
than  I  have  ever  known  before,  and  crave  his  generous 
pardon  for  my  bold  request." 

The  Archbishop  took  her  unresisting  hand,  and,  bend- 
ing, raised  it  to  his  lips  with  that  dignified  courtesy 
which,  despite  his  disclaimer,  he  knew  well  how,  upon 
occasion,  to  display. 

"  Madame,"  he  said,  "  I  ask  you  to  believe  that  your 
request  was  granted  even  before  you  marshalled  such 
unanswerable  arguments  to  stand,  like  armoured  men, 
around  it.  There  is  a  stern  and  stringent  law  of  our 


216  THE  STRONG  ARM 

great  Church  which  forbids  its  servants  suing  for  a 
lady's^hand.  Countess,  I  never  felt  the  grasp  of  that 
iron  fetter  until  now." 

Thus  came  the  strong  castle  above  Trarbach  to  be 
builded,  and  that  not  at  the  expense  of  its  owners. 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT 

ARRAS,  blacksmith  and  armourer,  stood  at  the  door 
of  his  hut  in  the  valley  of  the  Alf,  a  league  or  so  from 
the  Moselle,  one  summer  evening.  He  was  the  most 
powerful  man  in  all  the  Alf-thal,  and  few  could  lift  the 
iron  sledge-hammer  he  wielded  as  though  it  were  a  toy. 
Arras  had  twelve  sons  scarce  less  stalwart  than  himself, 
some  of  whom  helped  him  in  his  occupation  of  black- 
smith and  armourer,  while  the  others  tilled  the  ground 
near  by,  earning  from  the  rich  soil  of  the  valley  such 
sustenance  as  the  whole  family  required. 

The  blacksmith  thus  standing  at  his  door,  heard, 
coming  up  the  valley  of  the  Alf,  the  hoof-beats  of  a 
horse,  and  his  quick,  experienced  ear  told  him,  though 
the  animal  was  yet  afar,  that  one  of  its  shoes  was  loose. 
As  the  hurrying  rider  came  within  call,  the  blacksmith 
shouted  to  him  in  stentorian  tones  : 
,  "  Friend,  pause  a  moment,  until  I  fasten  again  the 
shoe  on  your  horse's  foot." 

"  I  cannot  stop,"  was  the  brief  answer. 

"  Then  your  animal  will  go  lame,"  rejoined  the  black- 
smith. 

"  Better  lose  a  horse  than  an  empire,"  replied  the 
rider,  hurrying  by. 

"  Now  what  does  that  mean  ?  "   said  the  blacksmith 

to  himself  as  he  watched  the  disappearing  rider,  while 

217 


218  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  click-clack  of  the  loosened  shoe  became  fainter  and 
fainter  in  the  distance. 

Could  the  blacksmith  have  followed  the  rider  into 
Castle  Bertrich,  a  short  distance  further  up  the  valley, 
he  would  speedily  have  learned  the  meaning  of  the 
hasty  phrase  the  horseman  had  flung  behind  him  as  he 
rode  past.  Ascending  the  winding  road  that  led  to  the 
gates  of  the  castle  as  hurriedly  as  the  jaded  condition 
of  his  beast  would  permit,  the  horseman  paused,  un- 
loosed the  horn  from  his  belt,  and  blew  a  blast  that 
echoed  from  the  wooded  hills  around.  Presently  an 
officer  appeared  above  the  gateway,  accompanied  by 
two  or  three  armed  men,  and  demanded  who  the 
stranger  was  and  why  he  asked  admission.  The  horse- 
man, amazed  at  the  officer's  ignorance  of  heraldry  that 
caused  him  to  inquire  as  to  his  quality,  answered  with 
some  haughtiness : 

"  Messenger  of  the  Archbishop  of  Treves,  I  demand 
instant  audience  with  Count  Bertrich." 

The  officer,  without  reply,  disappeared  from  the  castle 
wall,  and  presently  the  great  leaves  of  the  gate  were 
thrown  open,  whereupon  the  horseman  rode  his  tired 
animal  into  the  courtyard  and  flung  himself  off. 

"  My  horse's  shoe  is  loose,"  he  said  to  the  Captain. 
"  I  ask  you  to  have  your  armourer  immediately  attend 
to  it." 

"  In  truth,"  replied  the  officer,  shrugging  his 
shoulders,  "there  is  more  drinking  than  righting  in 
Castle  Bertrich  ;  consequently  we  do  not  possess  an 
armourer.  If  you  want  blacksmithing  done  you  must 
betake  yourself  to  armourer  Arras  in  the  valley,  who  will 
put  either  horse  or  armour  right  for  you." 

With  this  the  messenger  was  forced  to  be  content ; 
and,  begging  the  attendants  who  took  charge  of  his 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  219 

horse  to  remember  that  it  had  travelled  far  and  had 
still,  when  rested,  a  long  journey  before  it,  he  followed 
the  Captain  into  the  great  Rittersaal  of  the  castle,  where, 
on  entering,  after  having  been  announced,  he  found  the 
Count  of  Bertrich  sitting  at  the  head  of  a  long  table, 
holding  in  his  hand  a  gigantic  wine  flagon  which  he  was 
industriously  emptying.  Extending  down  each  side  of 
the  table  were  many  nobles,  knights,  and  warriors,  who, 
to  judge  by  the  hasty  glance  bestowed  upon  them  by 
the  Archbishop's  messenger,  seemed  to  be  energetically 
following  the  example  set  them  by  their  over-lord  at 
the  head.  Count  Bertrich's  hair  was  unkempt,  his  face 
a  purplish  red,  his  eye  bloodshot ;  and  his  corselet, 
open  at  the  throat,  showed  the  great  bull-neck  of  the 
man,  on  whose  gigantic  frame  constant  dissipation 
seemed  to  have  merely  temporary  effect. 

"  Well !  "  roared  the  nobleman,  in  a  voice  that  made 
the  rafters  ring.  "  What  would  you  with  Count  Ber- 
trich ?  " 

"  I  bear  an  urgent  despatch  to  you  from  my  Lord  the 
Archbishop  of  Treves,"  replied  the  messenger. 

"  Then  down  on  your  knees  and  present  it,"  cried  the 
Count,  beating  the  table  with  his  flagon. 

jg  I  am  Envoy  of  his  Lordship  of  Treves,"  said  the 
messenger,  sternly. 

"  You  told  us  that  before,"  shouted  the  Count ;  "  and 
now  you  stand  in  the  hall  of  Bertrich.  Kneel,  there- 
fore, to  its  master." 

"  I  represent  the  Archbishop,"  reiterated  the  mes- 
senger, "  and  I  kneel  to  none  but  God  and  the  Em- 
peror." 

Count  Bertrich  rose  somewhat  uncertainly  to  his  feet, 
his  whole  frame  trembling  with  anger,  and  volleyed 
forth  oaths  upon  threats.  The  tall  nobleman  at  his 


220  THE  STRONG  ARM 

right  hand  also  rose,  as  did  many  of  the  others  who  sat 
at  the  table,  and,  placing  his  hand  on  the  arm  of  his 
furious  host,  said  warningly  : 

"  My  Lord  Count,  the  man  is  right.  It  is  against 
the  feudal  law  that  he  should  kneel,  or  that  you  should 
demand  it.  The  Archbishop  of  Treves  is  your  over- 
lord, as  well  as  ours,  and  it  is  not  fitting  that  his  mes- 
senger should  kneel  before  us/' 

"  That  is  truth — the  feudal  law,"  muttered  others 
down  each  side  of  the  table. 

The  enraged  Count  glared  upon  them  one  after  an- 
other, partially  subdued  by  their  breaking  away  from 
him. 

The  Envoy  stood  calm  and  collected,  awaiting  the 
outcome  of  the  tumult.  The  Count,  cursing  the  absent 
Archbishop  and  his  present  guests  with  equal  impar- 
tiality, sat  slowly  down  again,  and  flinging  his  empty 
flagon  at  an  attendant,  demanded  that  it  should  be 
refilled.  The  others  likewise  resumed  their  seats  ;  and 
the  Count  cried  out,  but  with  less  of  truculence  in  his 
tone: 

"  What  message  sent  the  Archbishop  to  Castle 
Bertrich  ?  " 

"  My  Lord,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  requires  me  to 
inform  Count  Bertrich  and  the  assembled  nobles  that 
the  Hungarians  have  forced  passage  across  the  Rhine, 
and  are  now  about  to  make  their  way  through  the 
defiles  of  the  Eifel  into  this  valley,  intending  to  march 
thence  upon  Treves,  laying  that  ancient  city  in  ruin  and 
carrying  havoc  over  the  surrounding  country.  His 
Lordship  commands  you,  Count  Bertrich,  to  rally  your 
men  about  you  and  to  hold  the  infidels  in  check  in  the 
defiles  of  the  Eifel  until  the  Archbishop  comes,  at  the 
.head  of  his  army,  to  your  relief  from  Treves." 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  221 

There  was  deep  silence  in  the  vast  hall  after  this 
startling  announcement.  Then  the  Count  replied  : 

"  Tell  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  that  if  the  Lords  of 
the  Rhine  cannot  keep  back  the  Hungarians,  it  is  hardly 
likely  that  we,  less  powerful,  near  the  Moselle,  can  do  it." 

"  His  Lordship  urges  instant  compliance  with  his 
request,  and  I  am  to  say  that  you  refuse  at  your  peril. 
A  few  hundred  men  can  hold  the  Hungarians  in  check 
while  they  are  passing  through  the  narrow  ravines  of 
the  Eifel,  while  as  many  thousands  might  not  be  suc- 
cessful against  them  should  they  once  reach  the  open 
valleys  of  the  Alf  and  the  Moselle.  His  Lordship 
would  also  have  you  know  that  this  campaign  is  as 
much  in  your  own  interest  as  in  his,  for  the  Hunga- 
rians, in  their  devastating  march,  spare  neither  high  nor 
low." 

"  Tell  his  Lordship,"  hiccoughed  the  Count,  "  that  I 
sit  safely  in  my  Castle  of  Bertrich,  and  that  I  defy  all 
the  Hungarians  who  were  ever  let  loose  to  disturb  me 
therein.  If  the  Archbishop  keeps  Treves  as  tightly 
as  I  shall  hold  Castle  Bertrich,  there  is  little  to  fear 
from  the  invaders." 

"  Am  I  to  return  to  Treves  then  with  your  refusal?  " 
asked  the  Envoy. 

"  You  may  return  to  Treves  as  best  pleases  you,  so 
that  you  rid  us  of  your  presence  here,  where  you  mar 
good  company." 

The  Envoy,  without  further  speech,  bowed  to  Count 
Bertrich  and  also  to  the  assembled  nobles,  passed 
silently  out  of  the  hall,  once  more  reaching  the  court- 
yard of  the  castle,  where  he  demanded  that  his  horse 
be  brought  to  him. 

"  The  animal  has  had  but  scant  time  for  feeding  and 
rest,"  said  the  Captain. 


222  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Twill  be  sufficient  to  carry  us  to  the  blacksmith's 
hut,"  answered  the  Envoy,  as  he  put  his  foot  in  stir- 
rup. 

The  blacksmith,  still  standing  at  the  door  of  his 
smithy,  heard,  coming  from  the  castle,  the  click  of  the 
broken  shoe,  but  this  time  the  rider  drew  up  before 
him  and  said  : 

"  The  offer  of  help  which  you  tendered  me  a  little 
ago  I  shall  now  be  glad  to  accept.  Do  your  work 
well,  smith,  and  know  that  in  performing  it,  you  are 
obliging  an  envoy  of  the  Archbishop  of  Treves." 

The  armourer  raised  his  cap  at  the  mention  of  the 
august  name,  and  invoked  a  blessing  upon  the  head  of 
that  renowned  and  warlike  prelate. 

"  You  said  something,"  spoke  up  the  smith,  "  of  loss 
of  empire,  as  you  rode  by.  I  trust  there  is  no  disquiet- 
ing news  from  Treves  ?  " 

"  Disquieting  enough,"  replied  the  messenger. 
"  The  Hungarians  have  crossed  the  Rhine,  and  are 
now  making  their  way  towards  the  defiles  of  the  Eifel. 
There  a  hundred  men  could  hold  the  infidels  in  check ; 
but  you  breed  a  scurvy  set  of  nobles  in  the  Alf-thal,  for 
Count  Bertrich  disdains  the  command  of  his  over- 
lord to  rise  at  the  head  of  his  men  and  stay  the  prog- 
ress of  the  invader  until  the  Archbishop  can  come  to 
his  assistance." 

"  Now,  out  upon  the  drunken  Count  for  a  base  cow- 
ard !  "  cried  the  armourer  in  anger.  "  May  his  castle 
be  sacked  and  himself  hanged  on  the  highest  turret, 
for  refusing  aid  to  his  over-lord  in  time  of  need.  I  and 
my  twelve  sons  know  every  rock  and  cave  in  the  Eifel. 
Would  the  Archbishop,  think  you,  accept  the  aid  of 
such  underlings  as  we,  whose  only  commendation  is 
that  our  hearts  are  stout  as  our  sinews  ?  " 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  223 

"  What  better  warranty  could  the  Archbishop  ask 
than  that  ? "  replied  the  Envoy.  "If  you  can  hold 
back  the  Hungarians  for  four  or  five  days,  then  I  doubt 
not  that  whatever  you  ask  of  the  Archbishop  will 
speedily  be  granted." 

"We  shall  ask  nothing,"  cried  the  blacksmith,  "but 
his  blessing,  and  be  deeply  honoured  in  receiving  it." 

Whereupon  the  blacksmith,  seizing  his  hammer, 
went  to  the  door  of  his  hut,  where  hung  part  of  a  suit 
of  armour,  that  served  at  the  same  time  as  a  sign  of 
his  profession  and  as  a  tocsin.  He  smote  the  hanging 
iron  with  his  sledge  until  the  clangorous  reverberation 
sounded  -through  the  valley,  and  presently  there  came 
hurrying  to  him  eight  of  his  stalwart  sons,  who  had 
been  occupied  in  tilling  the  fields. 

"  Scatter  ye,"  cried  the  blacksmith,  "  over  the  land. 
Rouse  the  people,  and  tell  them  the  Hungarians  are 
upon  us.  Urge  all  to  collect  here  at  midnight,  with 
whatever  of  arms  or  weapons  they  may  possess.  Those 
who  have  no  arms,  let  them  bring  poles,  and  mean- 
while your  brothers  and  myself  will  make  pike-heads 
for  them.  Tell  them  they  are  called  to  action  by  a 
Lord  from  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  himself,  and  that 
I  shall  lead  them.  Tell  them  they  fight  for  their 
homes,  their  wives,  and  their  children.  And  now 
away." 

The  eight  young  men  at  once  dispersed  in  various 
directions.  The  smith  himself  shod  the  Envoy's  horse, 
and  begged  him  to  inform  the  Archbishop  that  they 
would  defend  the  passes  of  the  Eifel  while  a  man  of 
them  remained  alive. 

Long  before  midnight  the  peasants  came  straggling 
to  the  smithy  from  all  quarters,  and  by  daylight  the 
blacksmith  had  led  them  over  the  volcanic  hills  to  the 


224  THE  STRONG  ARM 

lip  of  the  tremendous  pass  through  which  the  Hun- 
garians must  come.  The  sides  of  this  chasm  were  pre- 
cipitous and  hundreds  of  feet  in  height.  Even  the 
peasants  themselves,  knowing  the  rocks  as  they  did, 
could  not  have  climbed  from  the  bottom  of  the  pass  to 
the  height  they  now  occupied.  They  had,  therefore, 
no  fear  that  the  Hungarians  could  scale  the  walls  and 
decimate  their  scanty  band. 

When  the  invaders  appeared  the  blacksmith  and  his 
men  rolled  great  stones  and  rocks  down  upon  them, 
practically  annihilating  the  advance  guard  and  throwing 
the  whole  army  into  confusion.  The  week's  struggle 
that  followed  forms  one  of  the  most  exciting  episodes 
in  German  history.  Again  and  again  the  Hungarians 
attempted  the  pass,  but  nothing  could  withstand  the 
avalanche  of  stones  and  rocks  wherewith  they  were  over- 
whelmed. Still,  the  devoted  little  band  did  not  have 
everything  its  own  way.  They  were  so  few — and  they 
had  to  keep  watch  night  and  day — that  ere  the  week  was 
out  many  turned  longing  eyes  towards  the  direction 
whence  the  Archbishop's  army  was  expected  to  appear. 
It  was  not  until  the  seventh  day  that  help  arrived,  and 
then  the  Archbishop's  forces  speedily  put  to  flight  the 
now  demoralised  Hungarians,  and  chased  them  once 
more  across  the  Rhine. 

"  There  is  nothing  now  left  for  us  to  do,"  said  the 
tired  blacksmith  to  his  little  following  ;  "  so  I  will  get 
back  to  my  forge  and  you  to  your  farms." 

And  this  without  more  ado  they  did,  the  cheering 
and  inspiring  ring  of  iron  on  anvil  awakening  the  echoes 
of  the  Alf-thal  once  again. 

The  blacksmith  and  his  twelve  sons  were  at  their 
noon-day  meal  when  an  imposing  cavalcade  rode  up  to 
the  smithy.  At  the  head  was  no  other  than  the  Arch- 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  225 

bishop  himself,  and  the  blacksmith  and  his  dozen  sons 
were  covered  with  confusion  to  think  that  they  had 
such  a  distinguished  visitor  without  the  means  of  re- 
ceiving him  in  accordance  with  his  station.  But  the 
Archbishop  said  : 

"  Blacksmith  Arras,  you  and  your  sons  would  not 
wait  for  me  to  thank  you ;  so  I  am  now  come  to  you 
that  in  presence  of  all  these  followers  of  mine  I  may  pay 
fitting  tribute  to  your  loyalty  and  your  bravery." 

Then,  indeed,  did  the  modest  blacksmith  consider  he 
had  received  more  than  ample  compensation  for  what 
he  had  done,  which,  after  all,  as  he  told  his  neighbours, 
was  merely  his  duty.  So  why  should  a  man  be  thanked 
for  it  ? 

"  Blacksmith,"  said  the  Archbishop,  as  he  mounted 
his  horse  to  return  to  Treyes,  "  thanks  cost  little  and 
are  easily  bestowed.  I  hope,  however,  to  have  a  present 
for  you  that  will  show  the  whole  country  round  how 
much  I  esteem  true  valour." 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Alf-thal,  somewhat  back  from 
the  small  village  of  Alf  and  overlooking  the  Moselle, 
stands  a  conical  hill  that  completely  commands  the 
valley.  The  Archbishop  of  Treves,  having  had  a  lesson 
regarding  the  dangers  of  an  incursion  through  the 
volcanic  region  of  the  Eifel,  put  some  hundreds  of  men 
at  work  on  this  conical  hill,  and  erected  on  the  top  a 
strong  castle,  which  was  the  wonder  of  the  country. 
The  year  was  nearing  its  end  when  this  great  strong- 
hold was  completed,  and  it  began  to  be  known  through- 
out the  land  that  the  Archbishop  intended  to  hold 
high  revel  there,  and  had  invited  to  the  castle  all  the 
nobles  in  the  country,  while  the  chief  guest  was  no 
other  than  the  Emperor  himself.  Then  the  neighbours 
of  the  blacksmith  learned  that  a  gift  was  about  to  be 
15 


226  THE  STRONG  ARM 

bestowed  upon  that  stalwart  man.  He  and  his  twelve 
sons  received  notification  to  attend  at  the  castle,  and 
to  enjoy  the  whole  week's  festivity.  He  was  com- 
manded to  come  in  his  leathern  apron,  and  to  bring  with 
him  his  huge  sledge-hammer,  which,  the  Archbishop 
said,  had  now  become  a  weapon  as  honourable  as  the 
two-handed  sword  itself. 

Never  before  had  such  an  honour  been  bestowed  upon 
a  common  man,  and  though  the  peasants  were  jubilant 
that  one  of  their  caste  should  be  thus  singled  out  to 
receive  the  favour  of  the  famous  Archbishop,  and  meet 
not  only  great  nobles,  but  even  the  Emperor  himself, 
still,  it  was  gossiped  that  the  Barons  grumbled  at  this 
distinction  being  placed  upon  a  serf  like  the  blacksmith 
Arras,  and  none  were  so  loud  in  their  complaints  as 
Count  Bertrich,  who  had  remained  drinking  in  the 
castle  while  the  blacksmith  fought  for  the  land.  Never- 
theless, all  the  nobility  accepted  the  invitation  of  the 
powerful  Archbishop  of  Treves,  and  assembled  in  the 
great  room  of  the  new  castle,  each  equipped  in  all 
the  gorgeous  panoply  of  full  armour.  It  had  been 
rumoured  among  the  nobles  that  the  Emperor  would  not 
permit  the  Archbishop  to  sully  the  caste  of  knighthood 
by  asking  the  Barons  to  recognise  or  hold  converse  with 
one  in  humble  station  of  life.  Indeed,  had  it  been 
otherwise,  Count  Bertrich,  with  the  Barons  to  back 
him,  were  resolved  to  speak  out  boldly  to  the  Emperor, 
upholding  the  privileges  of  their  class,  and  protesting 
against  insult  to  it  in  presence  of  the  blacksmith  and 
his  sons. 

When  all  assembled  in  the  great  hall  they  found  at 
the  centre  of  the  long  side  wall  a  magnificent  throne 
erected,  with  a  dai's  in  front  of  it,  and  on  this  throne 
sat  the  Emperor  in  state,  while  at  his  right  hand  stood 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  227 

the  lordly  Archbishop  of  Treves.  But  what  was  more 
disquieting,  they  beheld  also  the  blacksmith  standing 
before  the  dai's,  some  distance  in  front  of  the  Emperor, 
clad  in  his  leathern  apron,  with  his  big  brawny  hands 
folded  over  the  top  of  the  handle  of  his  huge  sledge- 
hammer. Behind  him  were  ranged  his  twelve  sons. 
There  were  deep  frowns  on  the  brows  of  the  nobles 
when  they  saw  this,  and,  after  kneeling  and  protesting 
their  loyalty  to  the  Emperor,  they  stood  aloof  and 
apart,  leaving  a  clear  space  between  themselves  and  the 
plebeian  blacksmith  on  whom  they  cast  lowering  looks. 
When  the  salutations  of  the  Emperor  had  been  given, 
the  Archbishop  took  a  step  forward  on  the  dai's  and 
spoke  in  a  clear  voice  that  could  be  heard  to  the  further- 
most corner  of  the  room. 

"  My  Lords,"  he  said, "  I  have  invited  you  hither  that 
you  may  have  the  privilege  of  doing  honour  to  a  brave 
man.  I  ask  you  to  salute  the  blacksmith  Arras,  who, 
when  his  country  was  in  danger,  crushed  the  invaders 
as  effectually  as  ever  his  right  arm,  wielding  sledge, 
crushed  hot  iron." 

A  red  flush  of  confusion  overspread  the  face  of  the 
blacksmith,  but  loud  murmurs  broke  out  among  the 
nobility,  and  none  stepped  forward  to  salute  him.  One, 
indeed,  stepped  forward,  but  it  was  to  appeal  to  the 
Emperor. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  exclaimed  Count  Bertrich,  "  this  is 
an  unwarranted  breach  of  our  privileges.  It  is  not 
meet  that  we,  holding  noble  names,  should  be  asked  to 
consort  with  an  untitled  blacksmith.  I  appeal  to  your 
Majesty  against  the  Archbishop  under  the  feudal  law." 

All  eyes  turned  upon  the  Emperor,  who,  after  a  pause, 
said  : 

"  Count  Bertrich  is  right  and  I  sustain  his  appeal." 


228  THE  STRONG  ARM 

An  expression  of  triumph  came  into  the  red  bibulous 
face  of  Count  Bertrich,  and  the  nobles  shouted  joy- 
ously : 

"  The  Emperor,  the  Emperor !  " 

The  Archbishop,  however,  seemed  in  no  way  non- 
plussed by  his  defeat,  but,  addressing  the  armourer, 
said  : 

"  Advance,  blacksmith,  and  do  homage  to  your 
Emperor  and  mine." 

When  the  blacksmith  knelt  before  the  throne,  the 
Emperor,  taking  his  jewelled  sword  from  his  side, 
smote  the  kneeling  man  lightly  on  his  broad  shoulders, 
saying : 

"  Arise,  Count  Arras,  noble  of  the  German  Empire, 
and  first  Lord  of  the  Alf-thal." 

The  blacksmith  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  bowed  lowly 
to  the  Emperor,  and  backed  to  the  place  where  he  had 
formerly  stood,  again  resting  his  hands  on  the  handle 
of  his  sledge-hammer.  The  look  of  exultation  faded 
from  the  face  of  Count  Bertrich,  and  was  replaced  by 
an  expression  of  dismay,  for  he  had  been  until  that 
moment,  himself  first  Lord  of  the  Alf-thal,  with  none 
second. 

"  My  Lords,"  once  more  spoke  up  the  Archbishop, 
"  I  ask  you  to  salute  Count  Arras,  first  Lord  of  the 
Alf-thal." 

No  noble  moved,  and  again  Count  Bertrich  appealed 
to  the  Emperor. 

"Are  we  to  receive  on  terms  of  equality,"  he  said,  "  a 
landless  man  ;  the  count  of  a  blacksmith's  hut ;  a  first 
lord  of  a  forge  ?  For  the  second  time  I  appeal  to  your 
Majesty  against  such  an  outrage." 

The  Emperor  replied  calmly  : 

"  Again  I  support  the  appeal  of  Count  Bertrich." 


THE  ARCHBISHOP'S  GIFT  229 

There  was  this  time  no  applause  from  the  surround- 
ing nobles,  for  many  of  them  had  some  smattering 
idea  of  what  was  next  to  happen,  though  the  muddled 
brain  of  Count  Bertrich  gave  him  no  intimation  of  it.  • 

"  Count  Arras,"  said  the  Archbishop,  "  I  promised 
you  a  gift  when  last  I  left  you  at  your  smithy  door.  I 
now  bestow  upon  you  and  your  heirs  forever  this 
castle  of  Burg  Arras,  and  the  lands  adjoining  it.  I  ask 
you  to  hold  it  for  me  well  and  faithfully,  as  you  held 
the  pass  of  the  Eifel.  My  Lords,"  continued  the 
Archbishop,  turning  to  the  nobles,  with  a  ring  of 
menace  in  his  voice,  "  I  ask  you  to  salute  Count  Arras, 
your  equal  in  title,  your  equal  in  possessions,  and  the 
superior  of  any  one  of  you  in  patriotism  and  bravery. 
If  any  noble  question  his  courage,  let  him  neglect  to 
give  Count  of  Burg  Arras  his  title  and  salutation  as  he 
passes  before  him." 

"  Indeed,  and  that  will  not  I,"  said  the  tall  noble 
who  had  sat  at  Bertrich's  right  hand  in  his  castle, "  for, 
my  Lords,  if  we  hesitate  longer,  this  doughty  black- 
smith will  be  Emperor  before  we  know  it."  Then, 
advancing  towards  the  ex-armourer,  he  said :  "  My 
Lord,  Count  of  Burg  Arras,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to 
salute  you,  and  to  hope  that  when  Emperor  or  Arch- 
bishop are  to  be  fought  for,  your  arm  will  be  no  less 
powerful  in  a  coat  of  mail  than  it  was  when  you  wore 
a  leathern  apron." 

One  by  one  the  nobles  passed  and  saluted  as  their 
leader  had  done.  Count  Bertrich  hung  back  until  the 
last,  and  then,  as  he  passed  the  new  Count  of  Burg 
Arras,  he  hissed  at  him,  with  a  look  of  rage,  the  single 
word,  "  Blacksmith  !  " 

The  Count  of  Burg  Arras,  stirred  to  sudden  anger, 
and  forgetting  in  whose  presence  he  stood,  swung  his 


230  THE  STRONG  ARM 

huge  sledge-hammer  round  his  head,  and  brought  it 
down  on  the  armoured  back  of  Count  Bertrich,  roaring 
the  word  "  ANVIL  !  " 

The  armour  splintered  like  crushed  ice,  and  Count 
Bertrich  fell  prone  on  his  face  and  lay  there.  There 
was  instant  cry  of  "  Treason  !  Treason  !  "  and  shouts 
of  "  No  man  may  draw  arms  in  the  Emperor's  presence." 

"  My  Lord  Emperor,"  cried  the  Count  of  Burg 
Arras,  "  I  crave  pardon  if  I  have  done  amiss.  A  man 
does  not  forget  the  tricks  of  his  old  calling  when  he 
takes  on  new  honours.  Your  Majesty  has  said  that  I 
am  a  Count.  This  man,  having  heard  your  Majesty's 
word,  proclaims  me  blacksmith,  and  so  gave  the  lie  to 
his  Emperor.  For  this  I  struck  him,  and  would  again, 
even  though  he  stood  before  the  throne  in  a  palace,  or 
the  altar  in  a  cathedral.  If  that  be  treason,  take  from 
me  your  honours,  and  let  me  back  to  my  forge,  where 
this  same  hammer  will  mend  the  armour  it  has  broken, 
or  beat  him  out  a  new  back-piece." 

"  You  have  broken  no  tenet  of  the  feudal  law,"  said 
the  Emperor.  "  You  have  broken  nothing,  I  trust, 
but  the  Count's  armour,  for,  as  I  see,  he  is  arousing 
himself,  doubtless  no  bones  are  broken  as  well.  The 
feudal  law  does  not  regard  a  blacksmith's  hammer  as  a 
weapon.  And  as  for  treason,  Count  of  Burg  Arras, 
may  my  throne  always  be  surrounded  by  such  treason 
as  yours." 

And  for  centuries  after,  the  descendants  of  the  black- 
smith were  Counts  of  Burg  Arras,  and  held  the  castle 
of  that  name,  whose  ruins  to-day  attest  the  excellence 
of  the  Archbishop's  building. 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP 

IT  was  nearly  midnight  when  Count  Konrad  von 
Hochstaden  reached  his  castle  on  the  Rhine,  with  a 
score  of  very  tired  and  hungry  men  behind  him.  The 
warder  at  the  gate  of  Schloss  Hochstaden,  after  some 
cautious  parley  with  the  newcomers,  joyously  threw 
apart  the  two  great  iron-studded  oaken  leaves  of  the 
portal  when  he  was  convinced  that  it  was  indeed  his 
young  master  who  had  arrived  after  some  tumultuous 
years  at  the  crusades,  and  Count  Konrad  with  his  fol- 
lowers rode  clattering  under  the  stone  arch,  into  the 
ample  courtyard.  It  is  recorded  that,  in  the  great  hall 
of  the  castle,  the  Count  and  his  twenty  bronzed  and 
scarred  knights  ate  such  a  meal  as  had  never  before  been 
seen  to  disappear  in  Hochstaden,  and  that  after  drink- 
ing with  great  cheer  to  the  downfall  of  the  Saracene 
and  the  triumph  of  the  true  cross,  they  all  lay  on  the 
floor  of  the  Rittersaal  and  slept  the  remainder  of  the 
night,  the  whole  of  next  day,  and  did  not  awaken  until 
the  dawn  of  the  second  morning.  They  had  had  years 
of  hard  fighting  in  the  east,  and  on  the  way  home  they 
had  been  compelled  to  work  their  passage  through  the 
domains  of  turbulent  nobles  by  good  stout  broadsword 
play,  the  only  argument  their  opposers  could  under- 
stand, and  thus  they  had  come  through  to  the  Rhine 

without  contributing  aught  to  their  opponents  except 

231 


232  THE  STRONG  ARM 

fierce  blows,  which  were  not  commodities  as  marketable 
as  yellow  gold,  yet  with  this  sole  exchange  did  the 
twenty-one  win  their  way  from  Palestine  to  the  Palati- 
nate, and  thus  were  they  so  long  on  the  road  that  those 
in  Schloss  Hochstaden  had  given  up  all  expectation  of 
their  coming. 

Count  Konrad  found  that  his  father,  whose  serious 
illness  was  the  cause  of  his  return,  had  been  dead  for 
months  past,  and  the  young  man  wandered  about  the 
castle  which,  during  the  past  few  years,  he  had  beheld 
only  in  dreams  by  night  and  in  the  desert  mirages  by 
day,  saddened  because  of  his  loss.  He  would  return  to 
the  Holy  Land,  he  said  to  himself,  and  let  the  castle 
be  looked  after  by  its  custodian  until  the  war  with  the 
heathen  was  ended. 

The  young  Count  walked  back  and  forth  on  the  stone 
paved  terrace  which  commanded  from  its  height  such 
a  splendid  view  of  the  winding  river,  but  he  paid  small 
attention  to  the  landscape,  striding  along  with  his  hands 
clasped  behind  him  ;  his  head  bent,  deep  in  thought. 
He  was  awakened  from  his  reverie  by  the  coming  of 
the  ancient  custodian  of  the  castle,  who  shuffled  up  to 
him  and  saluted  him  with  reverential  respect,  for  the 
Count  was  now  the  last  of  his  race ;  a  fighting  line, 
whose  members  rarely  came  to  die  peaceably  in  their 
beds  as  Konrad's  father  had  done. 

The  Count,  looking  up,  swept  his  eye  around  the 
horizon  and  then  to  his  astonishment  saw  the  red  battle 
flag  flying  grimly  from  the  high  northern  tower  of 
Castle  Bernstein  perched  on  the  summit  of  the  next 
hill  to  the  south.  In  the  valley  were  the  white  tents 
of  an  encampment,  and  fluttering  over  it  was  a  flag 
whose  device,  at  that  distance,  the  Count  could  not  dis- 
cern. 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        233 

"  Why  is  the  battle  flag  flying  on  Bernstein,  Gottlieb, 
and  what  means  those  tents  in  the  valley?"  asked 
Konrad. 

The  old  man  looked  in  the  direction  of  the  encamp- 
ment, as  if  the  sight  were  new  to  him,  but  Konrad 
speedily  saw  that  the  opposite  was  the  case.  The  tents 
had  been  there  so  long  that  they  now  seemed  a  perma- 
nent part  of  the  scenery. 

"  The  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  my  Lord,  is  engaged  in 
the  besiegement  of  Schloss  Bernstein,  and  seems  like 
to  have  a  long  job  of  it.  He  has  been  there  for  nearly 
a  year  now." 

"  Then  the  stout  Baron  is  making  a  brave  defence ; 
good  luck  to  him  !  " 

"  Alas,  my  Lord,  I  am  grieved  to  state  that  the  Baron 
went  to  his  rest  on  the  first  day  of  the  assault.  He 
foolishly  sallied  out  at  the  head  of  his  men  and  fell 
hotly  on  the  Archbishop's  troops,  who  were  surrounding 
the  castle.  There  was  some  matter  in  dispute  between 
the  Baron  and  the  Archbishop,  and  to  aid  the  settlement 
thereof,  his  mighty  Lordship  of  Cologne  sent  a  thousand 
armed  men  up  the  river,  and  it  is  said  that  all  he  wished 
was  to  have  parley  with  Baron  Bernstein,  and  to  over- 
awe him  in  the  discussion,  but  the  Baron  came  out  at 
the  head  of  his  men  and  fell  upon  the  Cologne  troops 
so  mightily  that  he  nearly  put  the  whole  battalion  to 
flight,  but  the  officers  rallied  their  panic-stricken  host, 
seeing  how  few  were  opposed  to  them,  and  the  order 
was  given  that  the  Baron  should  be  taken  prisoner,  but 
the  old  man  would  not  have  it  so,  and  fought  so  stur- 
dily with  his  long  sword,  that  he  nearly  entrenched 
himself  with  a  wall  of  dead.  At  last  the  old  man  was 
cut  down  and  died  gloriously,  with  scarcely  a  square 
inch  unwounded  on  his  whole  body.  The  officers  of 


234  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  Archbishop  then  tried  to  carry  the  castle  by  assault, 
but  the  Lady  of  Bernstein  closed  and  barred  the  gate, 
ran  up  the  battle  flag  on  the  northern  tower  and  bid 
defiance  to  the  Archbishop  and  all  his  men." 

"  The  Lady  of  Bernstein  ?  I  thought  the  Baron 
was  a  widower.  Whom,  then,  did  he  again  marry?" 

"  'Twas  not  his  wife,  but  his  daughter." 

"  His  daughter  ?  Not  Brunhilda  ?  She's  but  a  child 
of  ten." 

"  She  was  when  you  went  away,  my  Lord,  but  now 
she  is  a  woman  of  eighteen,  with  all  the  beauty  of  her 
mother  and  all  the  bravery  of  her  father." 

"  Burning  Cross  of  the  East,  Gottlieb !  Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  for  a  year  a  prince  of  the  Church  has 
been  warring  with  a  girl,  and  her  brother,  knowing 
nothing  of  this  cowardly  assault,  fighting  the  battles 
for  his  faith  on  the  sands  of  the  desert  ?  Let  the  bugle 
sound !  Call  up  my  men  and  arouse  those  who  are 
still  sleeping." 

"  My  Lord,  my  Lord,  I  beg  of  you  to  have  caution  in 
this  matter." 

"  Caution  ?  God's  patience  !  Has  caution  rotted  the 
honour  out  of  the  bones  of  all  Rhine  men,  that  this  out- 
rage should  pass  unmolested  before  their  eyes  !  The 
father  murdered ;  the  daughter  beleaguered ;  while 
those  who  call  themselves  men  sleep  sound  in  their 
safe  castles !  Out  of  my  way,  old  man  !  Throw  open 
the  gates !  " 

But  the  ancient  custodian  stood  firmly  before  his 
over-lord,  whose  red  angry  face  seemed  like  that  of  the 
sun  rising  so  ruddily  behind  him. 

"  My  Lord,  if  you  insist  on  engaging  in  this  enterprise 
it  must  be  gone  about  sanely.  You  need  the  old  head 
as  well  as  the  young  arm.  You  have  a  score  of  well- 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        235 

seasoned  warriors,  and  we  can  gather  into  the  castle 
another  hundred.  But  the  Archbishop  has  a  thousand 
men  around  Bernstein.  Your  score  would  but  meet 
the  fate  of  the  old  Baron  and  would  not  better  the  case 
of  those  within  the  castle.  The  Archbishop  has  not 
assaulted  Bernstein  since  the  Baron's  death,  but  has 
drawn  a  tight  line  around  it  and  so  has  cut  off  all 
supplies,  daily  summoning  the  maiden  to  surrender. 
What  they  now  need  in  Bernstein  is  not  iron,  but  food. 
Through  long  waiting  they  keep  slack  watch  about  the 
castle,  and  it  is  possible  that,  with  care  taken  at  mid- 
night, you  might  reprovision  Bernstein  so  that  she 
could  hold  out  until  her  brother  comes,  whom  it  is 
said  she  has  summoned  from  the  Holy  Land." 

"  Thou  art  wise,  old  Gottlieb,"  said  the  Count  slowly, 
pausing  in  his  wrath  as  the  difficulties  of  the  situation 
were  thus  placed  in  array  before  him  ;  "  wise  and  cau- 
tious, as  all  men  seem  to  be  who  now  keep  ward  on  the 
Rhine.  What  said  my  father  regarding  this  contest  ?  " 

"  My  Lord,  your  honoured  father  was  in  his  bed 
stricken  with  the  long  illness  that  came  to  be  his  un- 
doing at  the  last,  and  we  never  let  him  know  that  the 
Baron  was  dead  or  the  siege  in  progress." 

''  Again  wise  and  cautious,  Gottlieb,  for  had  he  known 
it,  he  would  have  risen  from  his  deathbed,  taken  down 
his  two-handed  sword  from  the  wall,  and  struck  his 
last  blow  in  defence  of  the  right  against  tyranny." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  under  danger  of  your  censure,  I 
venture  to  say  that  you  do  not  yet  know  the  cause  of 
the  quarrel  into  which  you  design  to  precipitate  your- 
self. It  may  not  be  tyranny  on  the  part  of  the  over- 
lord, but  disobedience  on  the  part  of  the  vassal,  which 
causes  the  environment  of  Bernstein.  And  the  Arch- 
bishop is  a  prince  of  our  holy  Church." 


236  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  I  leave  those  nice  distinctions  to  philosophers  like 
thee,  Gottlieb.  It  is  enough  for  me  to  know  that  a 
thousand  men  are  trying  to  starve  one  woman,  and  as 
for  being  a  prince  of  the  Church,  I  shall  give  his  devout 
Lordship  a  taste  of  religion  hot  from  its  birthplace, 
and  show  him  how  we  uphold  the  cause  in  the  East, 
for  in  this  matter  the  Archbishop  grasps  not  the  cross 
but  the  sword,  and  by  the  sword  shall  he  be  met.  And 
now  go,  Gottlieb,  set  ablaze  the  fires  on  all  our  ovens 
and  put  the  bakers  at  work.  Call  in  your  hundred 
men  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  bid  each  man  bring 
with  him  a  sack  of  wheat.  Spend  the  day  at  the  bak- 
ing and  fill  the  cellars  with  grain  and  wine.  It  will  be 
reason  enough,  if  any  make  inquiry,  to  say  that  the 
young  Lord  has  returned  and  intends  to  hold  feasts  in 
his  castle.  Send  hither  my  Captain  to  me." 

Old  Gottlieb  hobbled  away,  and  there  presently 
came  upon  the  terrace  a  stalwart,  grizzled  man,  some- 
what past  middle  age,  whose  brown  face  showed  more 
seams  of  scars  than  remnants  of  beauty.  He  saluted 
his  chief  and  stood  erect  in  silence. 

The  Count  waved  his  hand  toward  the  broad  valley 
and  said  grimly : 

"  There  sits  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  besieging 
the  Castle  of  Bernstein." 

The  Captain  bowed  low  and  crossed  himself. 

"  God  prosper  his  Lordship,"  he  said  piously. 

"  You  may  think  that  scarcely  the  phrase  to  use, 
Captain,  when  I  tell  you  that  you  will  lead  an  assault 
on  his  Lordship  to-night." 

"  Then  God  prosper  us,  my  Lord,"  replied  the  Captain 
cheerfully,  for  he  was  ever  a  man  who  delighted  more 
in  fighting  than  in  inquiring  keenly  into  the  cause 
thereof. 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        237 

"  You  may  see  from  here  that  a  ridge  runs  round 
from  this  castle,  bending  back  from  the  river,  which  it 
again  approaches,  touching  thus  Schloss  Bernstein. 
There  is  a  path  along  the  summit  of  the  ridge  which  I 
have  often  trodden  as  a  boy,  so  I  shall  be  your  guide. 
It  is  scarce  likely  that  this  path  is  guarded,  but  if  it 
is  we  will  have  to  throw  its  keepers  over  the  precipice ; 
those  that  we  do  not  slay  outright,  when  we  come  upon 
them." 

"  Excellent,  my  Lord,  most  excellent,"  replied  the 
Captain,  gleefully  rubbing  his  huge  hands  one  over  the 
other. 

"  But  it  is  not  entirely  to  fight  that  we  go.  You  are 
to  act  as  convoy  to  those  who  carry  bread  to  Castle 
Bernstein.  We  shall  leave  here  at  the  darkest  hour 
after  midnight  and  you  must  return  before  daybreak  so 
that  the  Archbishop  cannot  estimate  our  numbers. 
Then  get  out  all  the  old  armour  there  is  in  the  castle 
and  masquerade  the  peasants  in  it.  Arrange  them  along 
the  battlements  so  that  they  will  appear  as  numerous 
as  possible  while  I  stay  in  Castle  Bernstein  and  make 
terms  with  the  Archbishop,  for  it  seems  he  out-mans  us, 
so  we  must  resort,  in  some  measure,  to  strategy.  On 
the  nighV  assault  let  each  man  yell  as  if  he  were  ten 
and  lay  about  him  mightily.  Are  the  knaves  astir 
yet  ?  " 

"  Most  of  them,  my  Lord,  and  drinking  steadily  the 
better  to  endure  the  dryness  of  the  desert  when  we  go 
eastward  again." 

"  Well,  see  to  it  that  they  do  not  drink  so  much  as 
to  interfere  with  clean  sword-play  against  to-night's 
business." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  I  have  a  doubt  if  there  is  Rhine 
wine  enough  in  the  castle's  vaults  to  do  that,  and  the 


238  THE  STRONG  ARM 

men  yell  better  when  they  have  a  few  gallons  within 
them." 

At  the  appointed  hour  Count  Konrad  and  his  com- 
pany went  silently  forth,  escorting  a  score  more  who 
carried  sacks  of  the  newly  baked  bread  on  their  backs, 
or  leathern  receptacles  filled  with  wine,  as  well  as  a 
stout  cask  of  the  same  seductive  fluid.  Near  the 
Schloss  Bernstein  the  rescuing  party  came  upon  the 
Archbishop's  outpost,  who  raised  the  alarm  before  the 
good  sword  of  the  Captain  cut  through  the  cry.  There 
were  bugle  calls  throughout  the  camp  and  the  sound  of 
men  hurrying  to  their  weapons,  but  all  the  noise  of 
preparation  among  the  besiegers  was  as  nothing  to  the 
demoniac  din  sent  up  by  the  Crusaders,  who  rushed  to 
the  onslaught  with  a  zest  sharpened  by  their  previous 
rest  and  inactivity.  The  wild  barbaric  nature  of  their 
yells,  such  as  never  before  were  heard  on  the  borders 
of  the  placid  Rhine,  struck  consternation  into  the  op- 
position camp,  because  some  of  the  Archbishop's  troops 
had  fought  against  the  heathen  in  the  East,  and  they 
now  recognised  the  clamour  which  had  before,  on  many 
an  occasion,  routed  them,  and  they  thought  that  the 
Saracenes  had  turned  the  tables  and  invaded  Germany  ; 
indeed  from  the  deafening  clamour  it  seemed  likely 
that  all  Asia  was  let  loose  upon  them.  The  alarm 
spread  quickly  to  Castle  Bernstein  itself,  and  torches 
began  to  glimmer  on  its  battlements.  With  a  roar  the 
Crusaders  rushed  up  to  the  foot  of  the  wall,  as  a  wave 
dashes  against  a  rock,  sweeping  the  frightened  bread- 
carriers  with  them.  By  the  light  of  the  torches  Konrad 
saw  standing  on  the  wall  a  fair  young  girl  clad  in  chain 
armour  whose  sparkling  links  glistened  like  countless 
diamonds  in  the  rays  of  the  burning  pitch.  She  leaned 
on  the  cross-bar  of  her  father's  sword  and,  with  wide- 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        239 

open,  eager  eyes  peered  into  the  darkness  beyond, 
questioning  the  gloom  for  reason  of  the  terrifying 
tumult.  When  Konrad  strode  within  the  radius  of  the 
torches,  the  girl  drew  back  slightly  and  cried  : 

"  So  the  Archbishop  has  at  last  summoned  courage  to 
attack,  after  all  this  patient  waiting." 

"  My  Lady,"  shouted  the  Count,  "  these  are  my 
forces  and  not  the  Archbishop's.  I  am  Konrad,  Count 
of  Hochstaden." 

"  The  more  shame,  then,  that  you,  who  have  fought 
bravely  with  men,  should  now  turn  your  weapons  against 
a  woman,  and  she  your  neighbour  and  the  sister  of 
your  friend." 

"  Indeed,  Lady  Brunhilda,  you  misjudge  me.  I  am 
come  to  your  rescue  and  not  to  your  disadvantage. 
The  Archbishop's  men  were  put  to  some  inconvenience 
by  our  unexpected  arrival,  and  to  gather  from  the 
sounds  far  down  the  valley  they  have  not  ceased  run- 
ning yet.  We  come  with  bread,  and  use  the  sword  but 
as  a  spit  to  deliver  it." 

"  Your  words  are  welcome  were  I  but  sure  of  their 
truth,"  said  the  lady  with  deep  distrust  in  her  tone, 
for  she  had  had  experience  of  the  Archbishop's  craft  on 
many  occasions,  and  the  untimely  hour  of  the  succour 
led  her  to  fear  a  ruse.  "  I  open  my  gates  neither  to 
friend  nor  to  foe  in  the  darkness,"  she  added. 

"  'Tis  a  rule  that  may  well  be  commended  to  others 
of  your  bewitching  sex,"  replied  the  Count,  "  but  we 
ask  not  the  opening  of  the  gates,  although  you  might 
warn  those  witUn  your  courtyard  to  beware  what 
comes  upon  them  presently." 

So  saying,  he  gave  the  word,  and  each  two  of  his 
servitors  seized  a  sack  of  bread  by  the  ends  and,  heav- 
ing it,  flung  it  over  the  wall.  Some  of  the  sacks  fell 


240  THE  STRONG  ARM 

short,  but  the  second  effort  sent  them  into  the  court- 
yard, where  many  of  them  burst,  scattering  the  round 
loaves  along  the  cobble-stoned  pavement,  to  be  eagerly 
pounced  upon  by  the  starving  servitors  and  such  men- 
at-arms  as  had  escaped  from  the  encounter  with 
the  Archbishop's  troops  when  the  Baron  was  slain. 
The  cries  of  joy  that  rang  up  from  within  the  castle 
delighted  the  ear  of  the  Count  and  softened  the  suspi- 
cion of  the  lady  on  the  wall. 

"  Now,"  cried  Konrad  to  his  Captain,  "  back  to 
Schloss  Hochstaden  before  the  dawn  approaches  too 
closely,  and  let  there  be  no  mistake  in  the  Archbishop's 
camp  that  you  are  on  the  way." 

They  all  departed  in  a  series  of  earsplitting,  heart- 
appalling  whoops  that  shattered  the  still  night  air  and 
made  a  vocal  pandemonium  of  that  portion  of  the  fair 
Rhine  valley.  The  colour  left  the  cheeks  of  the  Lady 
of  Bernstein  as  she  listened  in  palpable  terror  to  the 
fiendish  outcry  which  seemed  to  scream  for  blood  and 
that  instantly,  looking  down  she  saw  the  Knight  of 
Hochstaden  still  there  at  the  foot  of  her  wall  gazing 
up  at  her. 

"  My  Lord,"  she  said  with  concern,  "if  you  stay  thus 
behind  your  noisy  troop  you  will  certainly  be  captured 
when  it  comes  day." 

"  My  Lady  of  Bernstein,  I  am  already  a  captive,  and 
all  the  Archbishop's  men  could  not  hold  me  more  in . 
thrall  did  they  surround  me  at  this  rroment." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  sir,"  said  Brunhilda  coldly, 
drawing  herself  up  with  a  dignity  that  well  became  her, 
"  your  language  seems  to  partake  of  an  exaggeration 
that  doubtless  you  have  learned  in  the  tropical  East, 
and  which  we  have  small  patience  with  on  the  more 
temperate  banks  of  the  Rhine." 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        241 

"  The  language  that  I  use,  fair  Brunhilda,  knows 
neither  east  nor  west ;  north  nor  south,  but  is  common  to 
every  land,  and  if  it  be  a  stranger  to  the  Rhine,  the 
Saints  be  witness  'tis  full  time  'twere  introduced  here, 
and  I  hold  myself  as  competent  to  be  its  spokesman,  as 
those  screeching  scoundrels  of  mine  hold  themselves  the 
equal  in  battle  to  all  the  archbishops  who  ever  wore  the 
robes  of  that  high  office." 

"  My  Lord,"  cried  Brunhilda,  a  note  of  serious  warn- 
ing in  her  voice,  "  my  gates  are  closed  and  they  remain 
so.  I  hold  myself  your  debtor  for  unasked  aid,  and 
would  fain  see  you  in  a  place  of  safety." 

"  My  reverenced  Lady,  that  friendly  wish  shall  pres- 
ently be  gratified,"  and  saying  this,  the  Count  unwound 
from  his  waist  a  thin  rope  woven  of  horse-hair,  having 
a  long  loop  at  the  end  of  it.  This  he  whirled  round 
his  head  and  with  an  art  learned  in  the  scaling  of  east- 
ern walls  flung  the  loop  so  that  it  surrounded  one  of 
the  machicolations  of  the  bastion,  and,  with  his  feet 
travelling  against  the  stone  work,  he  walked  up  the 
wall  by  aid  of  this  cord  and  was  over  the  parapet  be- 
fore any  could  hinder  his  ascent.  The  Maid  of  the 
Schloss,  her  brows  drawn  down  in  anger,  stood  with  sword 
ready  to  strike,  but  whether  it  was  the  unwieldiness  of 
the  clumsy  weapon,  or  whether  it  was  the  great  celerity 
with  which  the  young  man  put  his  nimbleness  to  the 
test,  or  whether  it  was  that  she  recognised  him  as  per- 
haps her  one  friend  on  earth,  who  can  tell ;  be  that 
as  it  may,  she  did  not  strike  in  time,  and  a  moment 
later  the  Count  dropped  on  one  knee  and  before 
she  knew  it  raised  one  of  her  hands  to  his  bending 
lips. 

"  Lovely  Warder  of  Bernstein,"  cried  Count  Konrad, 

with  a  tremor  of  emotion  in  his  voice  that  thrilled  the 
16 


242  THE  STRONG  ARM 

girl  in  spite  of  herself,  "  I  lay  my  devotion  and  my  life 
at  your  feet,  to  use  them  as  you  will." 

"  My  Lord,"  she  said  quaveringly,  with  tears  nearer  the 
the  surface  than  she  would  have  cared  to  admit,  "  I 
like  not  this  scaling  of  the  walls ;  my  permission  un- 
asked." 

"  God's  truth,  my  Lady,  and  you  are  not  the  first  to 
so  object,  but  the  others  were  men,  and  I  may  say, 
without  boasting,  that  I  bent  not  the  knee  to  them  when 
I  reached  their  level,  but  I  have  been  told  that  custom 
will  enable  a  maid  to  look  more  forgivingly  on  such 
escapades  if  her  feeling  is  friendly  toward  the  invader, 
and  I  am  bold  enough  to  hope  that  the  friendship  with 
which  your  brother  has  ever  regarded  me  in  the  distant 
wars,  may  be  extended  to  my  unworthy  self  by  his 
sister  at  home." 

Count  Konrad  rose  to  his  feet  and  the  girl  gazed  at 
him  in  silence,  seeing  how  bronzed  and  manly  he 
looked  in  his  light  well-polished  eastern  armour,  which 
had  not  the  cumbrous  massiveness  of  western  mail,  but, 
while  amply  protecting  the  body,  bestowed  upon  it 
lithe  freedom  for  quick  action  ;  and  unconsciously  she 
compared  him,  not  to  his  disadvantage,  with  the  cravens 
on  the  Rhine,  who,  while  sympathising  with  her,  dared 
not  raise  weapon  on  her  behalf  against  so  powerful  an 
over-lord  as  the  warlike  Archbishop.  The  scarlet  cross 
of  the  Crusader  on  his  broad  breast  seemed  to  her  swim- 
ming eyes  to  blaze  with  lambent  flame  in  the  yellow 
torchlight.  She  dared  not  trust  her  voice  to  answer 
him,  fearing  its  faintness  might  disown  the  courage  with 
which  she  had  held  her  castle  for  so  long,  and  he,  see- 
ing that  she  struggled  to  hold  control  of  herself,  stand- 
ing there  like  a  superb  Goddess  of  the  Rhine,  pre- 
tended to  notice  nothing  and  spoke  jauntily  with  a 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        243 

wave  of  his  hand :  "  My  villains  have  brought  to  the 
foot  of  the  walls  a  cask  of  our  best  wine  which  we  dared 
not  adventure  to  cast  into  the  courtyard  with  that  free- 
dom which  forwarded  the  loaves ;  there  is  also  a  packet 
of  dainties  more  suited  to  your  Ladyship's  consideration 
than  the  coarse  bread  from  our  ovens.  Give  command, 
I  beg  of  you,  that  the  gates  be  opened  and  that  your 
men  bring  the  wine  and  food  to  safety  within  the  court- 
yard, and  bestow  on  me  the  privilege  of  guarding  the 
open  gate  while  this  is  being  done." 

Then  gently,  with  insistent  deference,  the  young  man 
took  from  her  the  sword  of  her  father  which  she  yielded 
to  him  with  visible  reluctance,  but  nevertheless  yielded, 
standing  there  disarmed  before  him.  Together  in  si- 
lence they  went  down  the  stone  steps  that  led  from  the 
battlements  to  the  courtyard,  followed  by  the  torch- 
bearers,  whom  the  lightening  east  threatened  soon  to 
render  unnecessary.  A  cheer  went  up,  the  first  heard 
for  many  days  within  those  walls,  and  the  feasters, 
flinging  their  caps  in  the  air,  cried  "  Hochstaden  !  Hoch- 
staden  !  "  The  Count  turned  to  his  fair  companion  and 
said,  with  a  smile  : 

"  The  garrison  is  with  me,  my  Lady." 

She  smiled  also,  and  sighed,  but  made  no  other  re- 
ply, keeping  her  eyes  steadfast  on  the  stone  steps  be- 
neath her.  Once  descended,  she  gave  the  order  in  a 
low  voice,  and  quickly  the  gates  were  thrown  wide, 
creaking  grumblingly  on  their  hinges,  long  unused. 
Konrad  stood  before  the  opening  with  the  sword  of 
Bernstein  in  his  hands,  swinging  it  this  way  and  that  to 
get  the  hang  of  it,  and  looking  on  it  with  the  admira- 
tion which  a  warrior  ever  feels  for  a  well  hung,  trusty 
blade,  while  the  men-at-arms  nodded  to  one  another 
and  said  :  "  There  stands  a  man  who  knows  the  use  of 


244  THE  STRONG  ARM 

a  weapon.  I  would  that  he  had  the  crafty  Archbishop 
before  him  to  practise  on." 

When  the  barrel  was  trundled  in,  the  Lady  of  Bern- 
stein had  it.  broached  at  once,  and  with  her  own  hand 
served  to  each  of  her  men  a  flagon  of  the  golden  wine. 
Each  took  his  portion,  bowing  low  to  the  lady,  then 
doffing  cap,  drank  first  to  the  Emperor,  and  after  with  an 
enthusiasm  absent  from  the  Imperial  toast,  to  the  young 
war  lord  whom  the  night  had  flung  thus  unexpectedly 
among  them.  When  the  last  man  had  refreshed  him- 
self, the  Count  stepped  forward  and  begged  a  flagon  full 
that  he  might  drink  in  such  good  company,  and  it 
seemed  that  Brunhilda  had  anticipated  such  a  request, 
for  she  turned  to  one  of  her  women  and  held  out  her 
hand,  receiving  a  huge  silver  goblet  marvellously  en- 
graved that  had  belonged  to  her  forefathers,  and  plen- 
ishing it,  she  gave  it  to  the  Count,  who,  holding  it  aloft, 
cried,  "  The  Lady  of  Bernstein,"  whereupon  there  arose 
such  a  shout  that  the  troubled  Archbishop  heard  it  in 
his  distant  tent. 

"  And  yet  further  of  your  hospitality  must.  I  crave," 
said  Konrad,  "  for  the  morning  air  is  keen,  and  gives 
me  an  appetite  for  food  of  which  I  am  deeply  ashamed, 
but  which  nevertheless  clamours  for  an  early  breakfast." 

The  lady,  after  giving  instruction  to  the  maids  who 
waited  upon  her,  led  the  way  into  the  castle,  where 
Konrad  following,  they  arrived  in  the  long  Rittersaal, 
at  the  end  of  which,  facing  the  brightening  east,  was 
placed  a  huge  window  of  stained  glass,  whose  great 
breadth  was  gradually  lightening  as  if  an  unseen  painter 
with  magic  brush  was  tinting  the  glass  with  transparent 
colour,  from  the  lofty  timbered  ceiling  to  the  smoothly 
polished  floor.  At  the  end  of  the  table,  with  her  back 
to  the  window.  Brunhilda  sat,  while  the  Count  took  a 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        245 

place  near  her,  by  the  side,  turning  so  that  he  faced 
her,  the  ever-increasing  radiance  illumining  his  scintil- 
lating armour.  The  girl  ate  sparingly,  saying  little  and 
glancing  often  at  her  guest.  He  fell  to  like  the  good 
trencherman  he  was,  and  talked  unceasingly  of  the  wars 
in  the  East,  and  the  brave  deeds  done  there,  and  as  he 
talked  the  girl  forgot  all  else,  rested  her  elbows  on  the 
table  and  her  chin  in  her  hands,  regarding  him  intently, 
for  he  spoke  not  of  himself  but  of  her  brother,  and  of 
how,  when  grievously. pressed,  he  had  borne  himself  so 
nobly  that  more  than  once,  seemingly  certain  defeat 
was  changed  into  glorious  victory.  Now  and  then 
when  Konrad  gazed  upon  Brunhilda,  his  eloquent 
tongue  faltered  for  a  moment  and  he  lost  the  thread  of 
his  narrative,  for  all  trace  of  the  warrior  maid  had  de- 
parted, and  there,  outlined  against  the  glowing  window 
of  dazzling  colours,  she  seemed  indeed  a  saint  with  her 
halo  of  golden  hair,  a  fit  companion  to  the  angels  that 
the  marvellous  skill  of  the  artificer  had  placed  in  that 
gorgeous  collection  of  pictured  panes,  lead-lined  and  cut 
in  various  shapes,  answering  the  needs  of  their  gifted 
designer,  as  a  paint-brush  follows  the  will  of  the  artist. 
From  where  the  young  man  sat,  the  girl  against  the 
window  seemed  a  member  of  that  radiant  company,  and 
thus  he  paused  stricken  speechless  by  her  beauty. 

She  spoke  at  last,  the  smile  on  her  lips  saddened  by 
the  down  turning  of  their  corners,  her  voice  the  voice 
of  one  hovering  uncertain  between  laughter  and 
tears. 

"And  you,"  she  said,  "you  seem  to  have  had  no 
part  in  all  this  stirring  recital.  It  was  my  brother  and 
my  brother  and  my  brother,  and  to  hear  you  one 
would  think  you  were  all  the  while  hunting  peacefully 
in  your  Rhine  forests.  Yet  still  I  do  believe  the  Count 


246  THE  STRONG  ARM 

of  Hochstaden  gave    the  heathen    to   know   he  was 
somewhat   further  to  the  east  of  Germany." 

"  Oh,  of  me,"  stammered  the  Count.  "  Yes,  I  was 
there,  it  is  true,  and  sometimes — well,  I  have  a  fool  of 
a  captain,  headstrong  and  reckless,  who  swept  me  now 
and  then  into  a  melee,  before  I  could  bring  cool  investi- 
gation to  bear  upon  his  mad  projects,  and  once  in  the 
fray  of  course  I  had  to  plead  with  my  sword  to  protect 
my  head,  otherwise  my  bones  would  now  be  on  the 
desert  sands,  so  I  selfishly  lay  about  me  and  did  what 
I  could  to  get  once  more  out  of  the  turmoil."  * 

The  rising  sun  now  struck  living  colour  into  the  great 
window  of  stained  glass,  splashing  the  floor  and  the 
further  wall  with  crimson  and  blue  and  gold.  Count 
Konrad  sprang  to  his  feet.  "  The  day  is  here,"  he 
cried,  standing  in  the  glory  of  it,  while  the  girl  rose 
more  slowly.  "  Let  us  have  in  your  bugler  and  see  if 
he  has  forgotten  the  battle  call  of  the  Bernsteins. 
Often  have  I  heard  it  in  the  desert.  '  Give  us  the  bat- 
tle call/  young  Heifirich  would  cry,  and  then  to  its 
music  all  his  followers  would  shout  '  Bernstein  !  Bern- 
stein ! '  until  it  seemed  the  far-off  horizon  must  have 
heard." 

The  trumpeter  came,  and  being  now  well  fed,  blew 
valiantly,  giving  to  the  echoing  roof  the  war  cry  of  the 
generations  of  fighting  men  it  had  sheltered. 

"  That  is  it,"  cried  the  Count,  "  and  it  has  a  double 
significance.  A  challenge  on  the  field,  and  a  summons- 
to  parley  when  heard  from  the  walls.  We  shall  now 
learn  whether  or  no  the  Archbishop  has  forgotten  it, 
and  I  crave  your  permission  to  act  as  spokesman  with 
his  Lordship." 

"  That  I  most  gratefully  grant,"  said  the  Lady  of  the 
Castle. 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP        247 

Once  more  on  the  battlements,  the  Lord  of  Hoch- 
staden  commanded  the  trumpeter  to  sound  the  call 
The  martial  music  rang  out  in   the  still    morning   air 
and  was  echoed   mockingly  by  the  hills  on  the   other 
side  of  the  river.     After  that,  all  was  deep  silence. 

"  Once  again,"  said  Konrad. 

For  a  second  time  the  battle  blast  filled  the  valley, 
and  for  a  second  time  returned  faintly  back  from  the 
hilts.  Then  from  near  the  great  tent  of  the  Archbishop, 
by  the  margin  of  the  stream,  came  the  answering  call, 
accepting  the  demand  for  a  parley. 

When  at  last  the  Archbishop,  mounted  on  a  black 
charger,  came  slowly  up  the  winding  path  which  led  to 
the  castle,  attended  by  only  two  of  his  officers,  he 
found  the  Count  of  Hochstaden  awaiting  him  on  the 
battlements  above  the  gate.  The  latter's  hopes  arose 
when  he  saw  that  Cologne  himself  had  come,  and  had 
not  entrusted  the  business  to  an  envoy,  and  it  was  also 
encouraging  to  note  that  he  came  so  poorly  attended, 
for  when  a  man  has  made  up  his  mind  to  succumb  he 
wishes  as  few  witnesses  as  possible,  while  if  he  intends 
further  hostilities,  he  comes  in  all  the  pomp  of  his 
station. 

"  With  whom  am  I  to  hold  converse  ?  "  began  the 
Archbishop,  "  I  am  here  at  the  behest  of  the  Bernstein 
call  to  parley,  but  I  see  none  of  that  name  on  the  wall 
to  greet  me." 

"  Heinrich,  Baron  Bernstein,  is  now  on  his  way  to 
his  castle  from  the  Holy  Land,  and  were  he  here  it 
were  useless  for  me  to  summon  a  parley,  for  he  would 
answer  you  with  the  sword  and  not  with  the  tongue 
when  he  learned  his  father  was  dead  at  your  hand." 

"  That  is  no  reply  to  my  question.  With  whom  do 
I  hold  converse  ?  " 


248  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  I  am  Konrad,  Count  of  Hochstaden,  and  your 
Lordship's  vassal." 

"  I  am  glad  to  learn  of  your  humility  and  pleased  to 
know  that  I  need  not  call  your  vassalage  to  your  mem- 
ory, but  I  fear  that  in  the  darkness  you  have  less  re- 
gard for  either  than  you  now  pretend  in  the  light  of 
day." 

"  In  truth,  my  Lord,  you  grievously  mistake  me,  for 
in  the  darkness  I  stood  your  friend.  I  assure  you  I 
had  less  than  a  thousand  rascals  at  my  back  last  night, 
and  yet  nothing  would  appease  them  but  that  they 
must  fling  themselves  upon  your  whole  force,  had  I  not 
held  them  in  check.  I  told  them  you  probably  out- 
numbered us  ten  to  one,  but  they  held  that  one  man 
who  had  gone  through  an  eastern  campaign  was  worth 
ten  honest  burghers  from  Cologne,  which  indeed  I  verily 
believe,  and  for  the  fact  that  you  were  not  swept  into 
the  Rhine  early  this  morning  you  have  me  and  my 
peaceful  nature  to  thank,  my  Lord.  Perhaps  you  heard 
the  rogues  discussing  the  matter  with  me  before  dawn, 
and  going  angrily  home  when  I  so  ordered  them." 

"  A  man  had  need  to  be  dead  and  exceedingly  deep 
in  his  grave  not  to  have  heard  them,"  growled  the  Arch- 
bishop. 

"  And  there  they  stand  at  this  moment,  my  Lord, 
doubtless  grumbling  among  themselves  that  I  am  so 
long  giving  the  signal  they  expect,  which  will  permit 
them  to  finish  this  morning's  work.  The  men  I  can 
generally  control,  but  my  captains  are  a  set  of  impious 
cut-throats  who  would  sooner  sack  an  Archbishop's 
palace  than  listen  to  the  niceties  of  the  feudal  law 
which  protects  over-lords  from  such  pleasantries." 

The  Archbishop  turned  on  his  horse  and  gazed  on  the 
huge  bulk  of  Schloss  Hochstaden,  and  there  a.  wonder- 


COUNT  KONRAD'S  COURTSHIP         249 

ful  sight  met  his  eye.  The  walls  bristled  with  armed 
men,  the  sun  glistening  on  their  polished  breastplates 
like  the  shimmer  of  summer  lightning.  The  Arch- 
bishop turned  toward  the  gate  again,  as  though  the 
sight  he  beheld  brought  small  comfort  to  him. 

"  What  is  your  desire  ?  "  he  said  with  less  of  trucu- 
lence  in  his  tone  than  there  had  been  at  the  beginning. 

"  I  hold  it  a  scandal,"  said  the  Count  gravely,  "  that 
a  prince  of  the  Church  should  assault  Christian  walls 
while  their  owner  is  absent  in  the  East  venturing  his 
life  in  the  uplifting  of  the  true  faith.  You  can  now 
retreat  without  loss  of  prestige ;  six  hours  hence  that 
may  be  impossible.  I  ask  you  then  to  give  your  as- 
surance to  the  Lady  of  Bernstein,  pledging  your  knight- 
ly word  that  she  will  be  no  longer  threatened  by  you, 
and  I  ask  you  to  withdraw  your  forces  immediately  to 
Cologne  where  it  is  likely  they  will  find  something  to 
do  if  Baron  Heinrich,  as  I  strongly  suspect,  marches 
directly  on  that  city." 

"  I  shall  follow  the  advice  of  my  humble  vassal,  for 
the  strength  of  a  prince  is  in  the  sage  counsel  of  his 
war  lords.  Will  you  escort  the  lady  to  the  battle- 
ments ?  " 

Then  did  Count  Konrad  von  Hochstaden  see  that  his 
cause  was  won,  and  descending  he  came  up  again,  lead- 
ing the  Lady  Brunhilda  by  the  hand. 

"  I  have  to  acquaint  you,  madame,"  said  the  Arch- 
bishop, "  that  the  siege  is  ended,  and  I  give  you  my 
assurance  that  you  will  not  again  be  beleaguered  by  my 
forces." 

The  Lady  of  Bernstein  bowed,  but  made  no  answer. 
She  blushed  deeply  that  the  Count  still  held  her  hand, 
but  she  did  not  withdraw  it. 

"  And  now,  my  Lord  Archbishop,  that  this  long-held 


250  THE  STRONG  ARM 

contention  is  amicably  adjusted,"  began  Von  Hoch- 
staden,  "  I  crave  that  you  bestow  on  us  two  your  gracious 
blessing,  potentate  of  the  Church,  for  this  lady  is  to  be 
my  wife." 

"  What  !  "  cried  Brunhilda  in  sudden  anger,  snatching 
her  hand  from  his,  "  do  you  think  you  can  carry  me  by 
storm  as  you  did  my  castle,  without  even  asking  my 
consent  ?  " 

"  Lady  of  my  heart,"  said  Konrad  tenderly,  "  I  did 
ask  your  consent.  My  eyes  questioned  in  the  Ritter- 
saal  and  yours  gave  kindly  answer.  Is  there  then  no 
language  but  that  which  is  spoken  ?  I  offer  you  here 
before  the  world  my  open  hand ;  is  it  to  remain 
empty  ?  " 

He  stood  before  her  with  outstretched  palm,  and  she 
gazed  steadfastly  at  him,  breathing  quickly.  At  length 
a  smile  dissolved  the  sternness  of  her  charming  lips, 
she  glanced  at  his  extended  hand  and  said  : 

"  'Twere  a  pity  so  firm  and  generous  a  hand  should 
remain  tenantless,"  and  with  that  she  placed  her  palm 
in  his. 

The  Archbishop  smiled  grimly  at  this  lovers'  by-play, 
then  solemnly,  with  upraised  hands,  invoked  God's 
blessing  upon  them. 


THE  LONG  LADDER 

EVERY  fortress  has  one  traitor  within  its  walls  ;  the 
Schloss  Eltz  had  two.  In  this,  curiously  enough,  lay 
its  salvation  ;  for  as  some  Eastern  poisons  when  mixed 
neutralise  each  other  and  form  combined  a  harmless 
fluid,  so  did  the  two  traitors  unwittingly  react,  the  one 
upon  the  other,  to  the  lasting  glory  of  Schloss  Eltz, 
which  has  never  been  captured  to  this  day. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  picture  the  amazement  of 
Heinrich  von  Richenbach  when  he  sat  mute  upon  his 
horse  at  the  brow  of  the  wooded  heights  and,  for  the 
first  time,  beheld  the  imposing  pile  which  had  been 
erected  by  the  Count  von  Eltz.  It  is  startling  enough 
to  come  suddenly  upon  a  castle  where  no  castle  should 
be ;  but  to  find  across  one's  path  an  erection  that  could 
hardly  have  been  the  product  of  other  agency  than  the 
lamp  of  Aladdin  was  stupefying,  and  Heinrich  drew  the 
sunburned  back  of  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  fearing  that 
they  were  playing  him  a  trick ;  then  seeing  the  won- 
drous vision  still  before  him,  he  hastily  crossed  himself, 
an  action  performed  somewhat  clumsily  through  lack 
of  practice,  so  that  he  might  ward  off  enchantment,  if, 
as  seemed  likely,  that  mountain  of  pinnacles  was  the 
work  of  the  devil,  and  not  placed  there,  stone  on  stone, 
by  the  hand  of  man.  But  in  spite  of  crossing  and  the 

clearing  of  his  eyes,  Eltz  Castle  remained  firmly  seated 

251 


252  THE  STRONG  ARM 

on  its  stool  of  rock,  and,  when  his  first  astonishment 
had  somewhat  abated,  Von  Richenbach,  who  was  a 
most  practical  man,  began  to  realise  that  here,  purely 
by  a  piece  of  unbelievable  good  luck,  the  very  secret  he 
had  been  sent  to  unravel  had  been  stumbled  upon,  the 
solving  of  which  he  had  given  up  in  despair,  returning 
empty-handed  to  his  grim  master,  the  redoubtable 
Archbishop  Baldwin  of  Treves. 

It  was  now  almost  two  months  since  the  Archbishop 
had  sent  him  on  the  mission  to  the  Rhine  from  which 
he  was  returning  as  wise  as  he  went,  well  knowing  that 
a  void  budget  would  procure  him  scant  welcome  from 
his  imperious  ruler.  Here,  at  least,  was  important 
matter  for  the  warlike  Elector's  stern  consideration — an 
apparently  impregnable  fortress  secretly  built  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  Archbishop's  domain  ;  and  knowing 
that  the  Count  von  Eltz  claimed  at  least  partial  juris- 
diction over  this  district,  more  especially  that  portion 
known  as  the  Eltz-thal,  in  the  middle  of  which  this 
mysterious  citadel  had  been  erected.  Heinrich  rightly 
surmised  that  its  construction  had  been  the  work  of 
this  ancient  enemy  of  the  Archbishop. 

Two  months  before,  or  nearly  so,  Heinrich  von 
Richenbach  had  been  summoned  into  the  presence  of 
the  Lion  of  Treves  at  his  palace  in  that  venerable 
city.  When  Baldwin  had  dismissed  all  within  the 
room  save  only  Von  Richenbach,  the  august  prelate 
said  : 

"  It  is  my  pleasure  that  you  take  horse  at  once  and 
proceed  to  my  city  of  Mayence  on  the  Rhine,  where  I 
am  governor.  You  will  inspect  the  garrison  there  and 
report  to  me." 

Heinrich  bowed,  but  said  nothing. 

"  You  will  then  go  down  the  Rhine  to  Elfield,  where 


THE  LONG  LADDER  253 

my  new  castle  is  built,  and  I  shall  be  pleased  to  have 
an  opinion  regarding  it." 

The  Archbishop  paused,  and  again  his  vassal  bowed 
and  remained  silent. 

"  It  is  my  wish  that  you  go  without  escort,  attracting 
as  little  attention  as  possible,  and  perhaps  it  may  be- 
advisable  to  return  by  the  northern  side  of  the  Moselle, 
but  some  distance  back  from  the  river,  as  there  are 
barons  on  the  banks  who  might  inquire  your  business, 
and  regret  their  curiosity  when  they  found  they  ques- 
tioned a  messenger  of  mine.  We  should  strive,  during 
our  brief  sojourn  on  this  inquisitive  earth,  to  put  our 
fellow  creatures  to  as  little  discomfort  as  possible." 

Von  Richenbach  saw  that  he  was  being  sent  on  a 
secret  and  possibly  dangerous  mission,  and  he  had  been 
long  enough  in  the  service  of  the  crafty  Archbishop  to 
know  that  the  reasons  ostensibly  given  for  his  journey 
were  probably  not  those  which  were  the  cause  of  it,  so 
he  contented  himself  with  inclining  his  head  for  the 
third  time  and  holding  his  peace.  The  Archbishop 
regarded  him  keenly  for  a  few  moments,  a  derisive 
smile  parting  his  firm  lips ;  then  said,  as  if  his  words 
were  an  afterthought : 

"  Our  faithful  vassal,  the  Count  von  Eltz,  is,  if  I 
mistake  not,  a  neighbor  of  ours  at  Elfield  ?  " 

The  sentence  took,  through  its  inflection,  the  nature 
of  a  query,  and  for  the  first  time  Heinrich  von  Richen- 
bach ventured  reply. 

"  He  is,  my  Lord." 

The  Archbishop  raised  his  eyes  to  the  vaulted  ceiling, 
and  seemed  for  a  time  lost  in  thought,  saying,  at  last, 
apparently  in  soliloquy,  rather  than  by  direct  address: 

"  Count  von  Eltz  has  been  suspiciously  quiet  of  late 
for  a  man  so  impetuous  by  nature.  It  might  be  prof- 


254  THE  STRONG  ARM 

itable  to  know  what  interests  him  during  this  unwonted 
seclusion.  It  behooves  us  to  acquaint  ourselves  with 
the  motives  that  actuate  a  neighbour,  so  that,  oppor- 
tunity arising,  we  may  aid  him  with  counsel  or  encour- 
agement. If,  therefore,  it  should  so  chance  that,  in 
the  intervals  of  your  inspection  of  governorship  or 
castle,  aught  regarding  the  present  occupation  of  the 
noble  count  comes  to  your  ears,  the  information  thus 
received  may  perhaps  remain  in  your  memory  until  you 
return  to  Treves." 

The  Archbishop  withdrew  his  eyes  from  the  ceiling, 
the  lids  lowering  over  them,  and  flashed  a  keen,  rapier- 
like  glance  at  the  man  who  stood  before  him. 

Heinrich  von  Richenbach  made  low  obeisance  and 
replied : 

"  Whatever  else  fades  from  my  memory,  my  Lord, 
news  of  Count  von  Elfcz  shall  remain  there." 

"  See  that  you  carry  nothing  upon  you,  save  your 
commission  as  inspector,  which  my  secretary  will 
presently  give  to  you.  If  you  are  captured  it  will  be 
enough  to  proclaim  yourself  my  emissary  and  exhibit 
your  commission  in  proof  of  the  peaceful  nature  of 
your  embassy.  And  now  to  horse  and  away." 

Thus  Von  Richenbach,  well  mounted,  with  his  com- 
mission legibly  engrossed  in  clerkly  hand  on  parch- 
ment, departed  on  the  Roman  road  for  Mayence,  but 
neither  there  nor  at  Elfield  could  he  learn  more  of 
Count  von  Eltz  than  was  already  known  at  Treves, 
which  was  to  the  effect  that  this  nobleman,  repenting 
him,  it  was  said,  of  his  stubborn  opposition  to  the  Arch- 
bishop, had  betaken  himself  to  the  Crusades  in  expia- 
tion of  his  wrong  in  shouldering  arms  against  one  who 
was  both  his  temporal  and  spiritual  over-lord ;  and  this 
rumour  coming  to  the  ears  of  Baldwin,  had  the  imme- 


THE  LONG  LADDER  255 

diate  effect  of  causing  that  prince  of  the  Church  to 
despatch  Von  Richenbach  with  the  purpose  of  learning 
accurately  what  his  old  enemy  was  actually  about ; 
for  Baldwin,  being  an  astute  man,  placed  little  faith  in 
sudden  conversion. 

When  Heinrich  von  Richenbach  returned  to  Treves 
he  was  immediately  ushered  into  the  presence  of  his 
master. 

"  You  have  been  long  away,"  said  the  Archbishop,  a 
frown  on  his  brow.  "  I  trust  the  tidings  you  bring 
offer  some  slight  compensation  for  the  delay." 

Then  was  Heinrich  indeed  glad  that  fate,  rather 
than  his  own  perspicacity,  had  led  his  horse  to  the 
heights  above  Schloss  Eltz. 

"  The  tidings  I  bring,  my  Lord,  are  so  astounding 
that  I  could  not  return  to  Treves  without  verifying 
them.  This  led  me  far  afield,  for  my  information  was 
of  the  scantiest ;  but  I  am  now  enabled  to  vouch  for 
the  truth  of  my  well-nigh  incredible  intelligence." 

"  Have  the  good  deeds  of  the  Count  then  translated 
him  bodily  to  heaven,  as  was  the  case  with  Elijah  ? 
Unloose  your  packet,  man,  and  waste  not  so  much 
time  in  the  vaunting  of  your  wares." 

"  The  Count  von  Eltz,  my  Lord,  has  built  a  castle 
that  is  part  palace,  part  fortress,  and  in  its  latter  office 
well-nigh  impregnable." 

"  Yes  ?     And  where  ?  " 

"  In  the  Eltz-thal,  my  Lord,  a  league  and  a  quarter 
from  the  Moselle." 

"  Impossible  !  "  cried  Baldwin,  bringing  his  clenched 
fist  down  on  the  table  before  him.  "  Impossible  !  You 
have  been  misled,  Von  Richenbach." 

"  Indeed,  my  Lord,  I  had  every  reason  to  believe  so 
until  I  viewed  the  structure  with  my  own  eyes." 


256  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  This,  then,  is  the  fruit  of  Von  Eltz's  contrition  ! 
To  build  a  castle  without  permission  within  my  juris- 
diction, and  defy  me  in  my  own  domain.  By  the 
Coat,  he  shall  repent  his  temerity  and  wish  himself 
twice  over  a  captive  of  the  Saracen  ere  I  have  done 
with  him.  I  will  despatch  at  once  an  army  to  the 
Eltz-thal,  and  there  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon 
another  when  it  returns." 

"  My  Lord,  I  beseech  you  not  to  move  with  haste  in 
this  matter.  If  twenty  thousand  men  marched  up  to 
the  Eltz-thal  they  could  not  take  the  castle.  No  such 
schloss  was  ever  built  before,  and  none  to  equal  it  will 
ever  be  built  again,  unless,  as  I  suspect  to  be  the  case 
in  this  instance,  the  devil  lends  his  aid." 

"  Oh,  I  doubt  not  that  Satan  built  it,  but  he  took 
the  form  and  name  of  Count  von  Eltz  while  doing  so," 
replied  the  Archbishop,  his  natural  anger  at  this  bold 
defiance  of  his  power  giving  way  to  his  habitual  cau- 
tion, which,  united  with  his  resources  and  intrepidity, 
had  much  to  do  with  his  success.  "  You  hold  the 
castle,  then,  to  be  unassailable.  Is  its  garrison  so 
powerful,  or  its  position  so  strong  ?  " 

"The  strength  of  its  garrison,  my  Lord,  is\in  its 
weakness ;  I  doubt  if  there  are  a  score  of  men  in  the 
castle,  but  that  is  all  the  better,  as  there  are  fewer 
mouths  to  feed  in  case  of  siege,  and  the  Count  has 
some  four  years'  supplies  in  his  vaults.  The  schloss  is 
situated  on  a  lofty,  unscalable  rock  that  stands  in  the 
centre  of  a  valley,  as  if  it  were  a  fortress  itself.  Then 
the  walls  of  the  building  are  of  unbelievable  height, 
with  none  of  the  round  or  square  towers  which  castles 
usually  possess,  but  having  in  plenty  conical  turrets, 
steep  roofs,  and  the  like,  which  give  it  the  appearance 
of  a  fairy  palace  in  a  wide,  enchanted  amphitheatre  of 


THE  LONG  LADDER  257 

green  wooded  hills,  making  the  Schloss  Eltz,  all  in  all, 
a  most  miraculous  sight,  such  as  a  man  may  not  behold 
in  many  years'  travel." 

"  In  truth,  Von  Richenbach,"  said  the  Archbishop, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "  we  should  have  made  you  one 
of  our  scrivening  monks  rather  than  a  warrior,  so  mar- 
vellously do  you  describe  the  entrancing  handiwork  of 
our  beloved  vassal,  the  Count  von  Eltz.  Perhaps  you 
think  it  pity  to  destroy  so  fascinating  a  creation." 

"  Not  so,  my  Lord.  I  have  examined  the  castle  well, 
and  I  think  were  I  entrusted  with  the  commission  I 
could  reduce  it." 

"  Ah,  now  we  have  modesty  indeed  !  You  can  take 
the  stronghold  where  I  should  fail." 

"  I  did  not  say  that  you  would  fail,  my  Lord.  I  said 
that  twenty  thousand  men  marching  up  the  valley 
would  fail,  unless  they  were  content  to  sit  around  the 
castle  for  four  years  or  more." 

"Answered  like  a  courtier,  Heinrich.  What,  then, 
is  your  method  of  attack  ?  " 

"  On  the  height  to  the  east,  which  is  the  nearest 
elevation  to  the  castle,  a  strong  fortress  might  be  built, 
that  would  in  a  measure  command  the  Schloss  Eltz, 
although  I  fear  the  distance  would  be  too  great  for  any 
catapult  to  fling  stones  within  its  courtyard.  Still,  we 
might  thus  have  complete  power  over  the  entrance  to 
the  schloss,  and  no  more  provender  could  be  taken  in." 

"  You  mean,  then,  to  wear  Von  Eltz  out  ?  That 
would  be  as  slow  a  method  as  besiegement." 

"  To  besiege  would  require  an  army,  my  Lord,  and 
would  have  this  disadvantage,  that,  besides  withdraw- 
ing from  other  use  so  many  of  your  men,  rumour  would 
spread  abroad  that  the  Count  held  you  in  check.  The 
building  of  a  fortress  on  the  height  would  merely  be 
17 


258  THE  STRONG  ARM 

doing  what  the  Count  has  already  done,  and  it  could 
be  well  garrisoned  by  twoscore  men  at  the  most, 
vigilant  night  and  day  to  take  advantage  of  any  move- 
ment of  fancied  security  to  force  way  into  the  castle. 
There  need  be  no  formal  declaration  of  hostilities,  but 
a  fortress  built  in  all  amicableness,  to  which  the  Count 
could  hardly  object,  as  you  would  be  but  following  his 
own  example." 

"  I  understand.  We  build  a  house  near  his  for 
neighbourliness.  There  is  indeed  much  in  your  plan 
that  commends  itself  to  me,  but  I  confess  a  liking  for 
the  underlying  part  of  a  scheme.  Remains  there  any- 
thing else  which  you  have  not  unfolded  to  me  ?  " 

"  Placing  in  command  of  the  new  fortress  a  stout 
warrior  who  was  at  the  same  time  a  subtle  man — 

"  In  other  words,  thyself,  Heinrich — well,  what 
then  ?  " 

"  There  is  every  chance  that  such  a  general  may 
learn  much  of  the  castle  from  one  or  other  of  its  in- 
mates. It  might  be  possible  that,  through  neglect  or 
inadvertence,  the  drawbridge  would  be  left  down  some 
night  and  the  portcullis  raised.  In  other  words,  the 
castle,  impervious  to  direct  assault,  may  fall  by  strat- 

egy." 

"  Excellent,  excellent,  my  worthy  warrior  !  I  should 
dearly  love  to  have  captain  of  mine  pay  such  an  in- 
formal visit  to  his  estimable  Countship.  We  shall  build 
the  fortress  you  suggest,  and  call  it  Baldwineltz.  You 
shall  be  its  commander;  and  I  now  bestow  upon  you 
Schloss  Eltz,  the  only  proviso  being  that  you  are  to 
enter  into  possession  of  it  by  whatever  means  you 
choose  to  use." 

Thus  the  square,  long  castle  of  Baldwineltz  came  to 
be  builded,  and  thus  Heinrich  von  Richenbach,  brave, 


THE  LONG  LADDER  ,  259 

ingenious,  and  unscrupulous,  was  installed  captain  of 
it,  with  twoscore  men  to  keep  him  company,  together 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  gold  to  bribe  whomsoever  he 
thought  worth  suborning. 

Time  went  on  without  much  to  show  for  its  passing, 
and  Heinrich  began  to  grow  impatient,  for  his  attempt 
at  corrupting  the  garrison  showed  that  negotiations 
were  not  without  their  dangers.  Stout  Baumstein, 
captain  of  the  gate,  was  the  man  whom  Heinrich  most 
desired  to  purchase,  for  Baumstein  could  lessen  the  dis- 
cipline at  the  portal  of  Schloss  Eltz  without  attracting 
undue  attention.  But  he  was  an  irascible  German, 
whose  strong  right  arm  was  readier  than  his  tongue ; 
and  when  Heinrich's  emissary  got  speech  with  him, 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  whispering  that  much  gold  might 
be  had  for  a  casual  raising  of  the  portcullis  and  lower- 
ing of  the  drawbridge,  Baumstein  at  first  could  not 
understand  his  purport,  for  he  was  somewhat  thick  in 
the  skull ;  but  when  the  meaning  of  the  message  at 
last  broke  in  upon  him,  he  wasted  no  time  in  talk,  but, 
raising  his  ever-ready  battle-axe,  clove  the  Envoy  to  the 
midriff.  The  Count  von  Eltz  himself,  coming  on  the 
scene  at  this  moment,  was  amazed  at  the  deed,  and 
sternly  demanded  of  his  gate-captain  why  he  had  vio- 
lated the  terms  of  a  parley.  Baumstein's  slowness  of 
speech  came  near  to  being  the  undoing  of  him,  for  at 
first  he  merely  said  that  such  creatures  as  the  messen- 
ger should  not  be  allowed  to  live  and  that  an  honest 
soldier  was  insulted  by  holding  converse  with  him ; 
whereupon  the  Count,  having  nice  notions,  picked  up 
in  polite  countries,  regarding  the  sacredness  of  a  flag  of 
truce,  was  about  to  hang  Baumstein,  scant  though  the 
garrison  was,  and  even  then  it  was  but  by  chance  that 
the  true  state  of  affairs  became  known  to  the  Count. 


260  THE  STRONG  ARM 

He  was  on  the  point  of  sending  back  the  body  of  the 
Envoy  to  Von  Richenbach  with  suitable  apology  for 
his  destruction  and  offer  of  recompense,  stating  that 
the  assailant  would  be  seen  hanging  outside  the  gate, 
when  Baumstein  said  that  while  he  had  no  objection 
to  being  hanged  if  it  so  pleased  the  Count,  he  begged 
to  suggest  that  the  gold  which  the  Envoy  brought  with 
him  to  bribe  the  garrison  should  be  taken  from  the 
body  before  it  was  returned,  and  divided  equally  among 
the  guard  at  the  gate.  As  Baumstein  said  this,  he  was 
taking  off  his  helmet  and  unbuckling  his  corselet,  thus 
freeing  his  neck  for  the  greater  convenience  of  the 
castle  hangman.  When  the  Count  learned  that  the 
stout  stroke  of  the  battle-axe  was  caused  by  the  proffer 
of  a  bribe  for  the  betraying  of  the  castle,  he,  to  the 
amazement  of  all  present,  begged  the  pardon  of  Baum- 
stein ;  for  such  a  thing  was  never  before  known  under 
the  feudal  law  that  a  noble  should  apologise  to  a  com- 
mon man,  and  Baumstein  himself  muttered  that  he  wot 
not  what  the  world  was  coming  to  if  a  mighty  Lord 
might  not  hang  an  underling  if  it  so  pleased  him,  cause 
or  no  cause. 

The  Count  commanded  the  body  to  be  searched,  and 
finding  thereon  some  five  bags  of  gold,  distributed  the 
coin  among  his  men,  as  a  good  commander  should, 
sending  back  the  body  to  Von  Richenbach,  with  a 
most  polite  message  to  the  effect  that  as  the  Archbishop 
evidently  intended  the  money  to  be  given  to  the  gar- 
rison, the  Count  had  endeavoured  to  carry  out  his  Lord- 
ship's wishes,  as  was  the  duty  of  an  obedient  vassal. 
But  Heinrich,  instead  of  being  pleased  with  the  court- 
esy of  the  message,  broke  into  violent  oaths,  and  spread 
abroad  in  the  land  the  false  saying  that  Count  von  Eltz 
had  violated  a  flag  of  truce. 


THE  LONG  LADDER  261 

But  there  was  one  man  in  the  castle  who  did  not 
enjoy  a  share  of  the  gold,  because  he  was  not  a  warrior, 
but  a  servant  of  the  Countess.  This  was  a  Spaniard 
named  Rego,  marvellously  skilled  in  the  concocting  of 
various  dishes  of  pastry  and  other  niceties  such  as  high- 
born ladies  have  a  fondness  for.  Rego  was  disliked  by 
the  Count,  and,  in  fact,  by  all  the  stout  Germans  who 
formed  the  garrison,  not  only  because  it  is  the  fashion 
for  men  of  one  country  justly  to  abhor  those  of  another, 
foreigners  being  in  all  lands  regarded  as  benighted 
creatures  whom  we  marvel  that  the  Lord  allows  to  live 
when  he  might  so  easily  have  peopled  the  whole  world 
with  men  like  unto  ourselves ;  but,  aside  from  this, 
Rego  had  a  cat-like  tread,  and  a  furtive  eye  that  never 
met  another  honestly  as  an  eye  should.  The  count, 
however,  endured  the  presence  of  this  Spaniard,  be- 
cause the  Countess  admired  his  skill  in  confections,  then 
unknown  in  Germany,  and  thus  Rego  remained  under 
her  orders. 

The  Spaniard's  eye  glittered  when  he  saw  the  yellow 
lustre  of  the  gold,  and  his  heart  was  bitter  that  he  did 
not  have  a  share  of  it.  He  soon  learned  where  it  came 
from,  and  rightly  surmised  that  there  was  more  in  the 
same  treasury,  ready  to  be  bestowed  for  similar  service 
to  that  which  the  unready  Baumstein  had  so  emphati- 
cally rejected  ;  so  Rego,  watching  his  opportunity,  stole 
away  secretly  to  Von  Richenbach  and  offered  his  aid 
in  the  capture  of  the  castle,  should  suitable  compensa- 
tion be  tendered  him.  Heinrich  questioned  him  closely 
regarding  the  interior  arrangements  of  the  castle,  and 
asked  him  if  he  could  find  any  means  of  letting  down 
the  drawbridge  and  raising  the  portcullis  in  the  night. 
This,  Rego  said  quite  truly,  was  impossible,  as  the 
guard  at  the  gate,  vigilant  enough  before,  had  become 


262  THE  STRONG  ARM 

much  more  so  since  the  attempted  bribery  of  the  Cap- 
tain. There  was,  however,  one  way  by  which  the  cas- 
tle might  be  entered,  and  that  entailed  a  most  perilous 
adventure.  There  was  a  platform  between  two  of  the 
lofty,  steep  roofs,  so  elevated  that  it  gave  a  view  over 
all  the  valley.  On  this  platform  a  sentinel  was  sta- 
tioned night  and  day,  whose  duty  was  that  of  outlook, 
like  a  man  on  the  cross-trees  of  a  ship.  From  this 
platform  a  stair,  narrow  at  the  top,  but  widening  as  it 
descended  to  the  lower  stories,  gave  access  to  the  whole 
castle.  If,  then,  a  besieger  constructed  a  ladder  of 
enormous  length,  it  might  be  placed  at  night  on  the 
narrow  ledge  of  rock  far  below  this  platform,  standing 
almost  perpendicular,  and  by  this  means  man  after  man 
would  be  enabled  to  reach  the  roof  of  the  castle,  and, 
under  the  guidance  of  Rego,  gain  admittance  to  the 
lower  rooms  unsuspected. 

"  But  the  sentinel  ?  "  objected  Von  Richenbach. 

"  The  sentinel  I  will  myself  slay.  I  will  steal  up  be- 
hind him  in  the  night  when  you  make  your  assault,  and 
running  my  knife  into  his  neck,  fling  him  over  the 
castle  wall ;  then  I  shall  be  ready  to  guide  you  down 
into  the  courtyard." 

Von  Richenbach,  remembering  the  sheer  precipice 
of  rock  at  the  foot  of  the  castle  walls  and  the  dizzy 
height  of 'the  castle  roof  above  the  rock,  could  scarcely 
forbear  a  shudder  at  the  thought  of  climbing  so  high 
on  a  shaky  ladder,  even  if  such  a  ladder  could  be  made, 
of  which  he  had  some  doubts.  The  scheme  did  not 
seem  so  feasible  as  the  Spaniard  appeared  to  imagine. 

"  Could  you  not  let  down  a  rope  ladder  from  the 
platform  when  you  had  slain  the  sentinel,  and  thus 
allow  us  to  climb  by  that  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  construct  and  con- 


THE  LONG  LADDER  263 

ceal  a  contrivance  strong  enough  to  carry  more  than 
one  man  at  a  time,  even  if  I  had  the  materials,"  said  the 
wily  Spaniard,  whose  thoughtfulness  and  ingenuity 
Heinrich  could  not  but  admire,  while  despising  him  as 
an  oily  foreigner.  "  If  you  made  the  rope  ladder  there 
would  be  no  method  of  getting  it  into  Schloss  Eltz ; 
besides,  it  would  need  to  be  double  the  length  of  a 
wooden  ladder,  for  you  can  place  your  ladder  at  the 
foot  of  the  ledge,  then  climb  to  the  top  of  the  rock, 
and,  standing  there,  pull  the  ladder  up,  letting  the  higher 
end  scrape  against  the  castle  wall  until  the  lower  end 
stands  firm  on  the  ledge  of  rock.  Your  whole  troop 
could  then  climb,  one  following  another,  so  that  there 
would  be  no  delay." 

Thus  it  was  arranged,  and  then  began  and  was  com- 
pleted the  construction  of  the  longest  and  most  wonder- 
ful ladder  ever  made  in  Germany  or  anywhere  else,  so 
far  as  history  records.  It  was  composed  of  numerous 
small  ladders,  spliced  and  hooped  with  iron  bands  by 
the  castle  armourer.  At  a  second  visit,  which  Rego  paid 
to  Baldwineltz  when  the  ladder  was  completed,  all  ar- 
rangements were  made  and  the  necessary  signals  agreed 
upon. 

It  was  the  pious  custom  of  those  in  the  fortress  of 
Baldwineltz  to  ring  the  great  bell  on  Saints'  days  and 
other  festivals  that  called  for  special  observance,  because 
Von  Richenbach  conducted  war  on  the  strictest  prin- 
ciples, as  a  man  knowing  his  duty  both  spiritual  and 
temporal.  It  was  agreed  that  on  the  night  of  the  as- 
sault, when  it  was  necessary  that  Rego  should  assassin- 
ate the  sentinel,  the  great  bell  of  the  fortress  should  be 
rung,  whereupon  the  Spaniard  was  to  hie  himself  up 
the  stair  and  send  the  watchman  into  another  sphere  of 
duty  by  means  of  his  dagger.  The  bell-ringing  seems 


264  THE  STRONG  ARM 

a  perfectly  justifiable  device,  and  one  that  will  be  ap- 
proved by  all  conspirators,  for  the  sounding  of  the  bell, 
plainly  heard  in  Schloss  Eltz,  would  cause  no  alarm,  as 
it  was  wont  to  sound  at  uncertain  intervals,  night  and 
day,  and  was  known  to  give  tongue  only  during  mo- 
ments allotted  by  the  Church  to  devout  thoughts.  But 
the  good  monk  Ambrose,  in  setting  down  on  parch- 
ment the  chronicles  of  this  time,  gives  it  as  his  opinion 
that  no  prosperity  could  have  been  expected  in  thus 
suddenly  changing  the  functions  of  the  bell  from  sacred 
duty  to  the  furtherance  of  a  secular  object.  Still,  Am- 
brose was  known  to  be  a  sympathiser  with  the  house 
of  Eltz,  and,  aside  from  this,  a  monk  in  his  cell  cannot 
be  expected  to  take  the  same  view  of  military  necessity 
that  would  commend  itself  to  a  warrior  on  a  bastion  ; 
therefore,  much  as  we  may  admire  Ambrose  as  an  his- 
torian, we  are  not  compelled  to  accept  his  opinions  on 
military  ethics. 

On  the  important  night,  which  was  of  great  darkness, 
made  the  more  intense  by  the  black  environment  of 
densely-wooded  hills  which  surrounded  Schloss  Eltz, 
the  swarthy  Spaniard  became  almost  pale  with  anxiety 
as  he  listened  for  the  solemn  peal  that  was  to  be  his 
signal.  At  last  it  tolled  forth,  and  he,  with  knife  to 
hand  in  his  girdle,  crept  softly  along  the  narrow  halls 
to  his  fatal  task.  The  interior  of  Schloss  Eltz  is  full  of 
intricate  passages,  unexpected  turnings,  here  a  few  steps 
up,  there  a  few  steps  down,  for  all  the  world  like  a  maze,  • 
in  which  even  one  knowing  the  castle  might  well  go 
astray.  At  one  of  the  turnings  Rego  came  suddenly 
upon  the  Countess,  who  screamed  at  sight  of  him,  and 
then  recognising  him  said,  half  laughing,  half  crying, 
being  a  nervous  woman  : 

"  Ah,  Rego,  thank  heaven   it  is  you !     I  am  so  dis- 


THE  LONG  LADDER  265 

traught  with  the  doleful  ringing  of  that  bell  that  I  am 
frightened  at  the  sound  of  my  own  footsteps.  Why 
rings  it  so,  Rego?" 

"  'Tis  some  Church  festival,  my  Lady,  which  they, 
fighting  for  the  Archbishop,  are  more  familiar  with  than 
I,"  answered  the  trembling  Spaniard,  as  frightened  as 
the  lady  herself  at  the  unexpected  meeting.  But  the 
Countess  was  a  most  religious  woman,  well  skilled  in 
the  observances  of  her  Church,  and  she  replied : 

"  No,  Rego.  There  is  no  cause  for  its  dolorous 
music,  and  to-night  there  seems  to  me  something 
ominous  and  menacing  in  its  tone,  as  if  disaster  im- 
pended." 

"  It  may  be  the  birthday  of  the  Archbishop,  my 
Lady,  or  of  the  Pope  himself." 

"  Our  Holy  Father  was  born  in  May,  and  the  Arch- 
bishop in  November.  Ah,  I  would  that  this  horrid 
strife  were  done  with  !  But  our  safety  lies  in  Heaven, 
and  if  our  duty  be  accomplished  here  on  earth,  we 
should  have  naught  to  fear  ;  yet  I  tremble  as  if  great 
danger  lay  before  me.  Come,  Rego,  to  the  chapel,  and 
light  the  candles  at  the  altar." 

The  Countess  passed  him,  and  for  one  fateful  mo- 
ment Rego's  hand  hovered  over  his  dagger,  thinking 
to  strike  the  lady  dead  at  his  feet  ;  but  the  risk  was 
too  great,  for  there  might  at  any  time  pass  along 
the  corridor  one  of  the  servants,  who  would  in- 
stantly raise  the  alarm  and  bring  disaster  upon  him. 
He  dare  not  disobey.  So  grinding  his  teeth  in  im- 
potent rage  and  fear,  he  followed  his  mistress  to  the 
chapel,  and,  as  quickly  as  he  could,  lit  one  candle  after 
another,  until  the  usual  number  burned  before  the 
sacred  image.  The  Countess  was  upon  her  knees  as  he 
tried  to  steal  softly  from  the  room.  "  Nay,  Rego,"  she 


266  THE  STRONG  ARM 

said,  raising  her  bended  head,  "  light  them  all  to-night. 
Hearken  !  That  raven  bell  has  ceased  even  as  you 
lighted  the  last  candle." 

The  Countess,  as  has  been  said  was  a  devout  lady, 
and  there  stood  an  unusual  number  of  candles  before  the 
altar,  several  of  which  burned  constantly,  but  only  on 
notable  occasions  were  all  the  candles  lighted.  As 
Rego  hesitated,  not  knowing  what  to  do  in  this  crisis, 
the  lady  repeated  :  "  Light  all  the  candles  to-night, 
Rego." 

"  You  said  yourself,  my  Lady,"  murmured  the  ago- 
nised man,  cold  sweat  breaking  out  on  his  forehead, 
"  that  this  was  not  a  Saint's  day." 

"  Nevertheless,  Rego,"  persisted  the  Countess,  sur- 
prised that  even  a  favourite  servant  $hould  thus  attempt 
to  thwart  her  will,  "  I  ask  yod(|Mlight  each  candle. 
Do  so  at  once." 

She  bowed  her  head  as  one  who  had  spoken  the  final 
word,  and  again  her  fate  trembled  in  the  balance ;  but 
Rego  heard  the  footsteps  of  the  Count  entering  the 
gallery  above  him,  that  ran  across  the  end  of  the  chapel, 
and  he  at  once  resumed  the  lighting  of  the  candles, 
making  less  speed  in  his  eagerness  than  if  he  had  gone 
about  his  task  with  more  care. 

The  monk  Ambrose  draws  a  moral  from  this  episode, 
which  is  sufficiently  obvious  when  after-events  have 
confirmed  it,  but  which  we  need  not  here  pause  to  con- 
sider, when  an  episode  of  the  most  thrilling  nature  is' 
going  forward  on  the  lofty  platform  on  the  roof  of  Eltz 
Castle. 

The  sentinel  paced  back  and  forward  within  his 
narrow  limit,  listening  to  the  depressing  and  monoto- 
nous tolling  of  the  bell  and  cursing  it,  for  the  platform 
was  a  lonely  place  and  the  night  of  inky  darkness.  At 


THE  LONG  LADDER  267 

last  the  bell  ceased,  and  he  stood  resting  on  his  long 
pike,  enjoying  the  stillness,  and  peering  into  the  black- 
ness surrounding  him,  when  suddenly  he  became  aware 
of  a  grating,  rasping  sound  below,  as  if  some  one  were 
attempting  to  climb  the  precipitous  beetling  cliff  of 
castle  wall  and  slipping  against  the  stones.  His  heart 
stood  still  with  fear,  for  he  knew  it  could  be  nothing 
human.  An  instant  later  something  apppeared  over 
the  parapet  that  could  be  seen  only  because  it  was 
blacker  than  the  distant  dark  sky  against  which  it  was 
outlined.  It  rose  and  rose  until  the  sentinel  saw  it 
was  the  top  of  a  ladder,  which  was  even  more  amazing 
than  if  the  fiend  himself  had  scrambled  over  the  stone 
coping,  for  we  know  the  devil  can  go  anywhere,  while 
a  ladder  cannot.  But  the  soldier  was  a  common-sense 
man,  and,  dark  as  was  the  night,  he  knew  that,  tall  as 
such  a  ladder  must  be,  there  seemed  a  likelihood  that 
human  power  was  pushing  it  upward.  He  touched  it 
with  his  hands  and  convinced  himself  that  there  was 
nothing  supernatural  about  it.  The  ladder  rose  inch 
by  inch,  slowly,  for  it  must  have  been  no  easy  task  for 
even  twoscore  men  to  raise  it  thus  with  ropes  or  other 
devices,  especially  when  the  bottom  of  it  neared  the 
top  of  the  ledge.  The  soldier  knew  he  should  at  once 
give  the  alarm  :  but  he  was  the  second  traitor  in  the 
stronghold,  corrupted  by  the  sight  of  the  glittering 
gold  he  had  shared,  and  only  prevented  from  selling 
himself  because  the  rigours  of  military  rule  did  not  give 
him  opportunity  of  going  to  Baldwineltz  as  the  less 
exacting  civilian  duties  had  allowed  the  Spaniard  to 
do  and  thus  market  his  ware.  So  the  sentry  made  no 
outcry,  but  silently  prepared  a  method  by  which  he 
could  negotiate  with  advantage  to  himself  when  the 
first  head  appeared  above  the  parapet.  He  fixed  the 


268  THE  STRONG  ARM 

point  of  his  lance  against  a  round  of  the  ladder,  and 
when  the  leading  warrior,  who  was  none  other  than 
Heinrich  von  Richenbach,  himself  came  slowly  and 
cautiously  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  the  sentinel,  exerting 
all  his  strength,  pushed  the  lance  outward,  and  the  top 
of  the  ladder  with  it,  until  it  stood  nearly  perpendicular 
some  two  yards  back  from  the  wall. 

"  In  God's  name,  what  are  you  about?  Is  that  you, 
Rego  ?  " 

The  soldier  replied,  calmly  : 

"  Order  your  men  not  to  move,  and  do  not  move 
yourself,  until  I  have  some  converse  with  you.  Have 
no  fear  if  you  are  prepared  to  accept  my  terms  ;  other- 
wise you  will  have  ample  time  to  say  your  prayers 
before  you  reach  the  ground,  for  the  distance  is  great." 

Von  Richenbach,  who  now  leaned  over  the  top  round, 
suspended  thus  between  heaven  and  earth,  grasped  the 
lance  with  both  hands,  so  that  the  ladder  might  not 
be  thrust  beyond  -  the  perpendicular.  In  quivering 
voice  he  passed  down  the  word  that  no  man  was  to 
shift  foot  or  hand  until  he  had  made  bargain  with  the 
sentinel  who  held  them  in  such  extreme  peril. 

"  What  terms  do  you  propose  to  me,  soldier  ?  "  he 
asked,  breathlessly. 

"  I  will  conduct  you  down  to  the  courtyard,  and 
when  you  have  surprised  and  taken  the  castle  you  will 
grant  me  safe  conduct  and  give  me  five  bags  of  gold 
equal  in  weight  to  those  offered  to  our  captain." 

"  All  that  will  I  do  and  double  the  treasure.  Faith- 
fully and  truly  do  I  promise  it." 

"  V^ou  pledge  me  your  knightly  word,  and  swear  also 
by  the  holy  coat  of  Treves  ?  " 

"  I  pledge  and  swear.  And  pray  you  be  careful  ;  in- 
cline the  ladder  yet  a  little  more  toward  the  wall." 


THE  LONG  LADDER  269 

"  I  trust  to  your  honour,"  said  the  traitor,  for  traitors 
love  to  prate  of  honour,  "  and  will  now  admit  you  to 
the  castle  ;  but  until  we  are  in  the  courtyard  there 
must  be  silence." 

"  Incline  the  ladder  gently,  for  it  is  so  weighted  that 
if  it  come  suddenly  against  the  wall,  it  may  break  in 
the  middle." 

At  this  supreme  moment,  as  the  sentinel  was  prepar- 
ing to  bring  them  cautiously  to  the  wall,  when  all  was 
deep  silence,  there  crept  swiftly  and  noiselessly  through 
the  trap-door  the  belated  Spaniard.  His  catlike  eyes 
beheld  the  shadowy  form  of  the  sentinel  bending  appar- 
ently over  the  parapet,  but  they  showed  him  nothing 
beyond.  With  the  speed  and  precipitation  of  a  spring- 
ing panther,  the  Spaniard  leaped  forward  and  drove 
his  dagger  deep  into  the  neck  of  his  comrade,  who, 
with  a  gurgling  cry,  plunged  headlong  forward,  and 
down  the  precipice,  thrusting  his  lance  as  he  fell.  The 
Spaniard's  dagger  went  with  the  doomed  sentinel,  stick- 
ing fast  in  his  throat,  and  its  presence  there  passed  a 
fatal  noose  around  the  neck  of  Rego  later,  for  they 
wrongly  thought  the  false  sentinel  had  saved  the  castle 
and  that  the  Spaniard  had  murdered  a  faithful  watch- 
man. 

Rego  leaned  panting  over  the  stone  coping,  listening 
for  the  thud  of  the  body.  Then  was  he  frozen  with 
horror  when  the  still  night  air  was  split  with  the  most 
appalling  shriek  of  combined  human  voice  in  an  agony 
of  fear  that  ever  tortured  the  ear  of  man.  The  shriek 
ended  in  a  terrorising  crash  far  below,  and  silence  again 
filled  the  valley. 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!" 

THE  room  was  large,  but  with  a  low  ceiling,  and  at 
one  end  of  the  lengthy,  broad  apartment  stood  a  gi- 
gantic fireplace,  in  which  was  heaped  a  pile  of  blazing 
logs,  whose  light,  rather  than  that  of  several  lanterns 
hanging  from  nails  along  the  timbered  walls,  illuminated 
the  faces  of  the  twenty  men  who  sat  within.  Heavy  tim- 
bers, blackened  with  age  and  smoke,  formed  the  ceiling. 
The  long,  low,  diamond-paned  window  in  the  middle 
of  the  wall  opposite  the  door,  had  been  shuttered 
as  completely  as  possible,  but  less  care  than  usual 
was  taken  to  prevent  the  light  from  penetrating  into  the 
darkness  beyond,  for  the  night  was  a  stormy  and  tem- 
pestuous one,  the  rain  lashing  wildly  against  the  hunting 
chalet,  which,  in  its  time,  had  seen  many  a  merry 
hunting  party  gathered  under  its  ample  roof. 

Every  now  and  then  a  blast  of  wind  shook  the 
wooden  edifice  from  garret  to  foundation,  causing  a 
puff  of  smoke  to  come  down  the  chimney,  and  the 
white  ashes  to  scatter  in  little  whirlwinds  over  the 
hearth.  On  the  opposite  side  from  the  shuttered  win- 
dow was  the  door,  heavily  barred.  A  long,  oaken  table 
occupied  the  centre  of  the  room,  and  round  this  in 
groups,  seated  and  standing,  were  a  score  of  men,  all 
with  swords  at  their  sides  ;  bearing,  many  of  them, 
that  air  of  careless  hauteur  which  is  supposed  to  be  a 

characteristic  of  noble  birth. 

270 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"          271 

Flagons  were  scattered  upon  the  table,  and  a  barrel 
of  wine  stood  in  a  corner  of  the  room  farthest  from  the 
fireplace,  but  it  was  evident  that  this  was  no  ordinary 
drinking  party,  and  that  the  assemblage  was  brought 
about  by  some  high  purport,  of  a  nature  so  serious 
that  it  stamped  anxiety  on  every  brow.  No  servants 
were  present,  and  each  man  who  wished  a  fresh  flagon  of 
wine  had  to  take  his  measure  to  the  barrel  in  the  corner 
and  fill  for  himself. 

The  hunting  chalet  stood  in  a  wilderness,  near  the 
confines  of  the  kingdom  of  Alluria,  twelve  leagues  from 
the  capital,  and  was  the  property  of  Count  Staumn, 
whose  tall,  gaunt  form  stood  erect  at  the  head  of  the 
table  as  he  silently  listened  to  the  discussion  which 
every  moment  was  becoming  more  and  more  heated, 
the  principal  speaking  parts  being  taken  by  the  obsti- 
nate, rough-spoken  Baron  Brunfels,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  crafty,  fox-like  ex-Chancellor  Steinmetz  on  the 
other. 

"  I  tell  you,"  thundered  Baron  Brunfels,  bringing  his 
fist  down  on  the  table,  "  I  will  not  have  the  King  killed. 
Such  a  proposal  goes  beyond  what  was  intended  when 
we  banded  ourselves  together.  The  King  is  a  fool,  so 
let  him  escape  like  a  fool.  I  am  a  conspirator,  but  not 
an  assassin." 

"  It  is  justice  rather  than  assassination,"  said  the  ex- 
Chancellor  suavely,  as  if  his  tones  were  oil  and  the 
Baron's  boisterous  talk  were  troubled  waters. 

"Justice!"  cried  the  Baron,  with  great  contempt. 
"  You  have  learned  that  cant  word  in  the  Cabinet  of  the 
King  himself,  before  he  thrust  you  out.  He  eternally 
prates  of  justice,  yet,  much  as  I  loathe  him,  I  have  no 
wish  to  compass  his  death,  either  directly  or  through 
gabbling  of  justice." 


272  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Will  you  permit  me  to  point  out  the  reason  that 
induces  me  to  believe  his  continued  exemption,  and 
State  policy,  will  not  run  together?  "  replied  the  advo- 
cate of  the  King's  death.  "  If  Rudolph  escape,  he  will 
take  up  his  abode  in  a  neighbouring  territory,  and  there 
will  inevitably  follow  plots  and  counter-plots  for  his 
restoration — thus  Alluria  will  be  kept  in  a  state  of  con- 
stant turmoil.  There  will  doubtless  grow  up  within  the 
kingdom  itself  a  party  sworn  to  his  restoration.  We 
shall  thus  be  involved  in  difficulties  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  all  for  what  ?  Merely  to  save  the  life  of  a  man  who 
is  an  enemy  to  each  of  us.  We  place  thousands  of 
lives  in  jeopardy,  render  our  own  positions  insecure, 
bring  continual  disquiet  upon  the  State,  when  all 
might  be  avoided  by  the  slitting  of  one  throat,  even 
though  that  throat  belong  to  the  King." 

It  was  evident  that  the  lawyer's  persuasive  tone 
brought  many  to  his  side,  and  the  conspirators  seemed 
about  evenly  divided  upon  the  question  of  life  or  death 
to  the  King.  The  Baron  was  about  to  break  out  again 
with  some  strenuousness  in  favour  of  his  own  view  of 
the  matter,  when  Count  Staumn  made  a  proposition 
that  was  eagerly  accepted  by  all  save  Brunfels  himself. 

"  Argument,"  said  Count  Staumn,  "  is  ever  the 
enemy  of  good  comradeship.  Let  us  settle  the  point 
at  once  and  finally,  with  the  dice-box.  Baron  Brunfels, 
you  are  too  seasoned  a  gambler  to  object  to  such  a 
mode  of  terminating  a  discussion.  Steinmetz,  the ' 
law,  of  which  you  are  so  distinguished  a  representative, 
is  often  compared  to  a  lottery,  so  you  cannot  look 
with  disfavour  upon  a  method  that  is  conclusive,  and  as 
reasonably  fair  as  the  average  decision  of  a  judge.  Let 
us  throw,  therefore,  for  the  life  of  the  King.  I,  as 
chairman  of  this  meeting,  will  be  umpire.  Single 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"  273 

throws,  and  the  highest  number  wins.  Baron  Brunfels, 
you  will  act  for  the  King,  and,  if  you  win,  may  bestow 
upon  the  monarch  his  life.  Chancellor  Steinmetz 
stands  for  the  State.  If  he  wins,  then  is  the  King's  life 
forfeit.  Gentlemen,  are  you  agreed?" 

"  Agreed,  agreed,"  cried  the  conspirators,  with  prac- 
tically unanimous  voice. 

Baron  Brunfels  grumbled  somewhat,  but  when  the 
dice-horn  was  brought,  and  he  heard  the  rattle  of  the 
bones  within  the  leathern  cylinder,  the  light  of  a  gam- 
bler's love  shone  in  his  eyes,  and  he  made  no  further 
protest. 

The  ex-Chancellor  took  the  dice-box  in  his  hand,  and 
was  about  to  shake,  when  there  came  suddenly  upon 
them  three  stout  raps  against  the  door,  given  apparently 
with  the  hilt  of  a  sword.  Many  not  already  standing, 
started  to  their  feet,  and  nearly  all  looked  one  upon 
another  with  deep  dismay  in  their  glances.  The  full 
company  of  conspirators  was  present  ;  exactly  a  score 
of  men  knew  of  the  rendezvous,  and  now  the  twenty- 
first  man  outside  was  beating  the  oaken  panels.  The 
knocking  was  repeated,  but  now  accompanied  by  the 
words : 

"  Open,  I  beg  of  you." 

Count  Staumn  left  the  table  and,  stealthily  as  a  cat, 
approached  the  door. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  A  wayfarer,  weary  and  wet,  who  seeks  shelter  from 
the  storm." 

"  My  house  is  already  filled,"  spoke  up  the  Count. 
"  I  have  no  room  for  another." 

"  Open  the  door  peacefully,"  cried  the  outlander, 
"and  do  not  put  me  to  the  necessity  of  forcing  it." 

There  was  a  ring  of  decision  in  the  voice  which  sent 
18 


274  THE  STRONG  ARM 

quick  pallor  to  more  than  one  cheek.  Ex-Chancellor 
Steinmetz  rose  to  his  feet  with  chattering  teeth,  and 
terror  in  his  eyes ;  he  seemed  to  recognise  the  tones  of 
the  invisible  speaker.  Count  Staumn  looked  over  his 
shoulder  at  the  assemblage  with  an  expression  that 
plainly  said  :  "  What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  In  the  fiend's  name,"  hissed  Baron  Brunfels,  taking 
the  precaution,  however,  to  speak  scarce  above  his 
breath,  "  if  you  are  so  frightened  when  it  comes  to  a 
knock  at  the  door,  what  will  it  be  when  the  real  knocks 
are  upon  you.  Open,  Count,  and  let  the  insistent 
stranger  in.  Whether  he  leave  the  place  alive  or  no, 
there  are  twenty  men  here  to  answer." 

The  Count  undid  the  fastenings  and  threw  back  the 
door.  There  entered  a  tall  man  completely  enveloped 
in  a  dark  cloak  that  was  dripping  wet.  Drawn  over 
his  eyes  was  a  hunter's  hat  of  felt,  with  a  drooping 
bedraggled  feather  on  it. 

The  door  was  immediately  closed  and  barred  behind 
him,  and  the  stranger,  pausing  a  moment  when  con- 
fronted by  so  many  inquiring  eyes,  flung  off  his  cloak, 
throwing  it  over  the  back  of  a  chair  ;  then  he  removed 
his  hat  with  a  sweep,  sending  the  raindrops  flying. 
The  intriguants  gazed  at  him,  speechless,  with  varying 
emotions.  They  saw  before  them  His  Majesty,  Ru- 
dolph, King  of  Alluria. 

If  the  King  had  any  suspicion  of  his  danger,  he  gave 
no  token  of  it.  On  his  smooth,  lofty  forehead  there 
was  no  trace  of  frown,  and  no  sign  of  fear.  His  was 
a  manly  figure,  rather  over,  than  under,  six  feet  in 
height ;  not  slim  and  gaunt,  like  Count  Staumn,  nor 
yet  stout  to  excess,  like  Baron  Brunfels.  The  finger  of 
Time  had  touched  with  frost  the  hair  at  his  temples, 
and  there  were  threads  of  white  in  his  pointed  beard, 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"  275 

but  his  sweeping  moustache  was  still  as  black  as  the 
night  from  which  he  came. 

His  frank,  clear,  honest  eyes  swept  the  company, 
resting  momentarily  on  each,  then  he  said  in  a  firm 
voice,  without  the  suspicion  of  a  tremor  in  it :  "  Gentle- 
men, I  give  you  good  evening,  and  although  the  hospi- 
tality of  Count  Staumn  has  needed  spurring,  I  lay  that 
not  up  against  him,  because  I  am  well  aware  his  appar- 
ent reluctance  arose  through  the  unexpectedness  of  my 
visit ;  and,  if  the  Count  will  act  as  cup-bearer,  we  will 
drown  all  remembrance  of  a  barred  door  in  a  flagon  of 
wine,  for,  to  tell  truth,  gentlemen,  I  have  ridden  hard 
in  order  to  have  the  pleasure  of  drinking  with  you." 

As  the  King  spoke  these  ominous  words,  he  cast  a 
glance  of  piercing  intensity  upon  the  company,  and 
more  than  one  quailed  under  it.  He  strode  to  the  fire- 
place, spurs  jingling  as  he  went,  and  stood  with  his 
back  to  the  fire,  spreading  out  his  hands  to  the  blaze. 
Count  Staumn  left  the  bolted  door,  took  an  empty 
flagon  from  the  shelf,  filled  it  at  the  barrel  in  the  cor- 
ner, and,  with  a  low  bow,  presented  the  brimming 
measure  to  the  King. 

Rudolph  held  aloft  his  beaker  of  Burgundy,  and,  as 
he  did  so,  spoke  in  a  loud  voice  that  rang  to  the  beams 
of  the  ceiling : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  give  you  a  suitable  toast.  May  none 
here  gathered  encounter  a  more  pitiless  storm  than 
that  which  is  raging  without !  " 

With  this  he  drank  off  the  wine,  and,  inclining  his 
head  slightly  to  the  Count,  returned  the  flagon.  No 
one,  save  the  King,  had  spoken  since  he  entered. 
Every  word  he  had  uttered  seemed  charged  with  double 
meaning  and  brought  to  the  suspicious  minds  of  his 
hearers  visions  of  a  trysting  place  surrounded  by  troops, 


276  THE  STRONG  ARM 

and  the  King  standing  there,  playing  with  them,  as  a 
tiger  plays  with  its  victims.  His  easy  confidence 
appalled  them. 

When  first  he  came  in,  several  who  were  seated  re- 
mained so,  but  one  by  one  they  rose  to  their  feet,  with 
the  exception  of  Baron  Brunfels,  although  he,  when 
the  King  gave  the  toast,  also  stood.  It  was  clear 
enough  their  glances  of  fear  were  not  directed  towards 
the  King,  but  towards  Baron  Brunfels.  Several  pairs 
of  eyes  beseeched  him  in  silent  supplication,  but  the 
Baron  met  none  of  these  glances,  for  his  gaze  was  fixed 
upon  the  King. 

Every  man  present  knew  the  Baron  to  be  reckless  of 
consequences ;  frankly  outspoken,  thoroughly  a  man 
of  the  sword,  and  a  despiser  of  diplomacy.  They 
feared  that  at  any  moment  he  might  blurt  out  the  pur- 
port of  the  meeting,  and  more  than  one  was  thankful 
for  the  crafty  ex-Chancellor's  planning,  who  throughout 
had  insisted  there  should  be  no  documentary  evidence 
of  their  designs,  either  in  their  houses  or  on  their  per- 
sons. Some  startling  rumour  must  have  reached  the 
King's  ear  to  bring  him  thus  unexpectedly  upon  them. 

The  anxiety  of  all  was  that  some  one  should  persuade 
the  King  they  were  merely  a  storm-besieged  hunting 
party.  They  trembled  in  anticipation  of  Brunfels' 
open  candor,  and  dreaded  the  revealing  of  the  real 
cause  of  their  conference.  There  was  now  no  chance  to 
warn  the  Baron ;  a  man  who  spoke  his  mind ;  who 
never  looked  an  inch  beyond  his  nose,  even  though  his 
head  should  roll  off  in  consequence,  and  if  a  man  does 
not  value  his  own  head,  how  can  he  be  expected  to  care 
for  the  heads  of  his  neighbours? 

"  I  ask  you  to  be  seated,"  said  the  King,  with  a 
wave  of  the  hand. 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"          277 

Now,  what  should  that  stubborn  fool  of  a  Baron  do 
but  remain  standing,  when  all  but  Rudolph  and  himself 
had  seated  themselves,  thus  drawing  His  Majesty's 
attention  directly  towards  him,  and  making  a  colloquy 
between  them  well-nigh  inevitable.  Those  next  the  ex- 
Chancellor  were  nudging  him,  in  God's  name,  to  stand 
also,  and  open  whatever  discussion  there  must  ensue 
between  themselves  and  His  Majesty,  so  that  it  might 
be  smoothly  carried  on,  but  the  Chancellor  was  ashen 
grey  with  fear,  and  his  hand  trembled  on  the  table. 

"My  Lord  of  Brunfels,"  said  the  King,  a  smile  hover- 
ing about  his  lips,  "  I  see  that  I  have  interrupted  you 
at  your  old  pleasure  of  dicing  ;  while  requesting  you  to 
continue  your  game  as  though  I  had  not  joined  you, 
may  I  venture  to  hope  the  stakes  you  play  for  are  not 
high  ?  " 

Every  one  held  his  breath,  awaiting  with  deepest  con- 
cern the  reply  of  the  frowning  Baron,  and  when  it 
came  growling  forth,  there  was  little  in  it  to  ease  their 
disquiet. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  Baron  Brunfels,  "  the  stakes 
are  the  highest  that  a  gambler  may  play  for." 

"  You  tempt  me,  Baron,  to  guess  that  the  hazard  is 
a  man's  soul,  but  I  see  that  your  adversary  is  my  worthy 
ex-Chancellor,  and  as  I  should  hesitate  to  impute 
to  him  the  character  of  the  devil,  I  am  led,  there- 
fore, to  the  conclusion  that  you  play  for  a  human  life. 
Whose  life  is  in  the  cast,  my  Lord  of  Brunfels?  " 

Before  the  Baron  could  reply,  ex-Chancellor  Steinmetz 
arose,  with  some  indecision,  to  his  feet.  He  began  in 
a  trembling  voice  : 

"  I  beg  your  gracious  permission  to  explain  the  reason 
of  our  gathering— 

"  Herr  Steinmetz,"  cried  the  King  sternly,  "when  I 


278  THE  STRONG  ARM 

desire  your  interference  I  shall  call  for  it ;  and  remember 
this,  Herr  Steinmetz  ;  the  man  who  begins  a  game 
must  play  it  to  the  end,  even  though  he  finds  luck  run- 
ning against  him." 

The  ex-Chancellor  sat  down  again,  and  drew  his 
hand  across  his  damp  forehead. 

"Your  Majesty,"  spoke  up  the  Baron,  a  ring  of  de- 
fiance in  his  voice,  "  I  speak  not  for  my  comrades,  but 
for  myself.  I  begin  no  game  that  I  fear  to  finish. 
We  were  about  to  dice  in  order  to  discover  whether 
Your  Majesty  should  live  or  die." 

A  simultaneous  moan  seemed  to  rise  from  the 
assembled  traitors.  The  smile  returned  to  the  King's 
lips. 

"  Baron,"  he  said,  "  I  have  ever  chided  myself  for 
loving  you,  for  you  were  always  a  bad  example  to  weak 
and  impressionable  natures.  Even  when  your  over- 
bearing, obstinate  intolerance  compelled  me  to  dismiss 
you  from  the  command  of  my  army,  I  could  not  but 
admire  your  sturdy  honesty.  Had  I  been  able  to  graft 
your  love  of  truth  upon  some  of  my  councillors,  what 
a  valuable  group  of  advisers  might  I  have  gathered 
round  me.  But  we  have  had  enough  of  comedy  and 
now  tragedy  sets  in.  Those  who  are  traitors  to  their 
ruler  must  not  be  surprised  if  a  double  traitor  is  one 
of  their  number.  Why  am  I  here  ?  Why  do  two  hun- 
dred mounted  and  armed  men  surround  this  doomed 
chalet?  Miserable  wretches,  what  have  you  to  say 
that  judgment  be  not  instantly  passed  upon  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  this  to  say,"  roared  Baron  Brunfels,  drawing 
his  sword,  "  that  whatever  may  befall  this  assemblage, 
you,  at  least,  shall  not  live  to  boast  of  it." 

The  King  stood  unmoved  as  Baron  Brunfels  was 
about  to  rush  upon  him,  but  Count  Staumn  and  others 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"          279 

threw  themselves  between  the  Baron  and  his  victim, 
seeing  in  the  King's  words  some  intimation  of  mercy 
to  be  held  out  to  them,  could  but  actual  assault  upon 
his  person  be  prevented. 

"  My  Lord  of  Brunfels,"  said  the  King,  calmly, 
"  sheath  your  sword.  Your  ancestors  have  often  drawn, 
it,  but  always  for,  and  never  against  the  occupant  of 
the  Throne.  Now,  gentlemen,  hear  my  decision,  and 
abide  faithfully  by  it.  Seat  yourselves  at  the  table,  ten 
on  each  side,  the  dice-box  between  you.  You  shall  not 
be  disappointed,  but  shall  play  out  the  game  of  life  and 
death.  Each  dices  with  his  opposite.  He  who  throws 
the  higher  number  escapes.  He  who  throws  the  lower 
places  his  weapons  on  the  empty  chair,  and  stands 
against  yonder  wall  to  be  executed  for  the  traitor  that 
he  is.  Thus  half  of  your  company  shall  live,  and  the 
other  half  seek  death  with  such  courage  as  may  be 
granted  them.  Do  you  agree,  or  shall  I  give  the 
signal?  " 

With  unanimous  voice  they  agreed,  all  excepting 
Baron  Brunfels,  who  spoke  not, 

"  Come,  Baron,  you  and  my  devoted  ex-Chancellor 
were  about  to  play  when  I  came  in.  Begin  the  game." 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  Baron  nonchalantly. 
"  Steinmetz,  the  dice-box  is  near  your  hand :  throw." 

Some  one  placed  the  cubes  in  the  leathern  cup  and 
handed  it  to  the  ex-Chancellor,  whose  shivering  fingers 
relieved  him  of  the  necessity  of  shaking  the  box.  The 
dice  rolled  out  on  the  table  ;  a  three,  a  four,  and  a  one. 
Those  nearest  reported  the  total. 

"  Eight !  "  cried  the  King.     "  Now,  Baron." 

Baron  Brunfels  carelessly  threw  the  dice  into  their 
receptacle,  and  a  moment  after  the  spotted  bones  clat- 
tered on  the  table. 


280  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Three  sixes  !  "  cried  the  Baron.  "  Lord,  if  I  only 
had  such  luck  when  I  played  for  money !  " 

The  ex-Chancellor's  eyes  were  starting  from  his  head, 
wild  with  fear. 

"We  have  three  throws,"  he  screamed. 

"  Not  so,"  said  the  King. 

"  I  swear  I  understood  that  we  were  to  have  three 
chances,"  shrieked  Steinmetz,  springing  from  his  chair. 
"  But  it  is  all  illegal,  and  not  to  be  borne.  I  will 
not  have  my  life  diced  away  to  please  either  King  or 
commons." 

He  drew  his  sword  and  placed  himself  in  an  attitude 
of  defence. 

"  Seize  him  ;  disarm  him,  and  bind  him,"  commanded 
the  King.  "  There  are  enough  gentlemen  in  this  com- 
pany to  see  that  the  rules  of  the  game  are  adhered  to." 

Steinmetz,  struggling  and  pleading  for  mercy,  was 
speedily  overpowered  and  bound  ;  then  his  captors 
placed  him  against  the  wall,  and  resumed  their  seats  at 
the  table.  The  next  man  to  be  doomed  was  Count 
Staumn.  The  Count  arose  from  his  chair,  bowed  first 
to  the  King  and  then  to  the  assembled  company  ;  drew 
forth  his  sword,  broke  it  over  his  knee,  and  walked  to 
the  wall  of  the  condemned. 

The  remainder  of  the  fearful  contest  was  carried  on 
in  silence,  but  with  great  celerity,  and  before  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  was  past,  ten  men  had  their  backs  to  the 
wall,  while  the  remaining  ten  were  seated  at  the  table,' 
some  on  one  side,  and  some  on  the  other. 

The"  men  ranged  against  the  wall  were  downcast,  for 
however  bravely  a  soldier  may  meet  death  in  hostile 
encounter,  it  is  a  different  matter  to  face  it  bound  and 
helpless  at  the  hands  of  an  executioner. 

A  shade  of  sadness  seemed  to  overspread  the  coun- 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"          281 

tenance  of  the  King,  who  still  occupied  the  position  he 
had  taken  at  the  first,  with  his  back  towards  the  fire. 

Baron  Brunfels  shifted  uneasily  in  his  seat,  and 
glanced  now  and  then  with  compassion  at  his  sentenced 
comrades.  He  was  first  to  break  the  silence. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "  I  am  always  loath  to  see 
a  coward  die.  The  whimpering  of  your  former  Chan- 
cellor annoys  me  ;  therefore,  will  I  gladly  take  his 
place,  and  give  to  him  the  life  and  liberty  you  perhaps 
design  for  me,  if,  in  exchange,  I  have  the  privilege  of 
speaking  my  mind  regarding  you  and  your  precious 
Kingship." 

"  Unbind  the  valiant  Steinmetz,"  said  the  King. 
"  Speak  your  mind  freely,  Baron  Brunfels." 

The  Baron  rose,  drew  sword  from  scabbard,  and 
placed  it  on  the  table. 

"Your  Majesty,  backed  by  brute  force,"  he  began, 
"  has  condemned  to  death  ten  of  your  subjects.  You 
have  branded  us  as  traitors,  and  such  we  are,  and  so 
find  no  fault  with  your  sentence ;  merely  recognis- 
ing that  you  represent,  for  the  time  being,  the  upper 
hand.  You  have  reminded  me  that  my  ancestors 
fought  for  yours,  and  that  they  never  turned  their 
swords  against  their  sovereign.  Why,  then,  have  our 
blades  been  pointed  towards  your  breast?  Because, 
King  Rudolph,  you  are  yourself  a  traitor.  You  belong 
to  the  ruling  class  and  have  turned  your  back  upon 
your  order.  You,  a  King,  have  made  yourself  a  brother 
to  the  demagogue  at  the  street  corner  ;  yearning  for  the 
cheap  applause  of  the  serf.  You  have  shorn  nobility 
of  its  privileges,  and  for  what  ?  " 

"  And  for  what  ?  "  echoed  the  King  with  rising  voice. 
"  For  this ;  that  the  ploughman  on  the  plain  may  reap 
what  he  has  sown ;  that  the  shepherd  on  the  hillside 


282  THE  STRONG  ARM 

may  enjoy  the  increase  which  comes  to  his  flock  ;  that 
taxation  may  be  light ;  that  my  nobles  shall  deal  hon- 
estly with  the  people,  and  not  use  their  position  for 
thievery  and  depredation ;  that  those  whom  the  State 
honours  by  appointing  to  positions  of  trust  shall  con- 
tent themselves  with  the  recompense  lawfully  given, 
and  refrain  from  peculation ;  that  peace  and  security 
shall  rest  on  the  land  ;  and  that  bloodthirsty  swash- 
bucklers shall  not  go  up  and  down  inciting  the  people 
to  carnage  and  rapine  under  the  name  of  patriotism. 
This  is  the  task  I  set  myself  when  I  came  to  the  Throne. 
What  fault  have  you  to  find  with  the  programme,  my 
Lord  Baron  ?  " 

"  The  simple  fault  that  it  is  the  programme  of  a 
fool,"  replied  the  Baron  calmly.  "  In  following  it  you 
have  gained  the  resentment  of  your  nobles,  and  have 
not  even  received  the  thanks  of  those  pitiable  hinds, 
the  ploughman  in  the  valley  or  the  shepherd  on  the 
hills.  You  have  impoverished  us  so  that  the  clowns 
may  have  a  few  more  coins  with  which  to  muddle  in 
drink  their  already  stupid  brains.  You  are  hated  in 
cot  and  castle  alike.  You  would  not  stand  in  your 
place  for  a  moment,  were  not  an  army  behind  you. 
Being  a  fool,  you  think  the  common  people  love 
honesty,  whereas,  they  only  curse  that  they  have  not 
a  share  in  the  thieving." 

"  The  people,"  said  the  King  soberly,  "  have  been 
misled.  Their  ear  has  been  abused  by  calumny  and 
falsehood.  Had  it  been  possible  for  me  personally  to 
explain  to  them  the  good  that  must  ultimately  accrue 
to  a  land  where  honesty  rules,  I  am  confident  I  would 
have  had  their  undivided  support,  even  though  my 
nobles  deserted  me." 

"  Not  so,  Your  Majesty ;  they  would  listen  to  you 


"GENTLEMEN:  THE  KING!"  283 

and  cheer  you,  but  when  the  next  orator  came  among 
them,  promising  to  divide  the  moon,  and  give  a 
share  to  each,  they  would  gather  round  his  banner  and 
hoot  you  from  the  kingdom.  What  care  they  for  recti- 
tude of  government  ?  They  see  no  farther  than  the 
shining  florin  that  glitters  on  their  palm.  When  your 
nobles  were  rich,  they  came  to  their  castles  among  the 
people,  and  scattered  their  gold  with  a  lavish  hand. 
Little  recked  the  peasants  how  it  was  got,  so  long  as 
they  shared  it.  '  There,'  they  said,  '  the  coin  comes  to 
us  that  we  have  not  worked  for.' 

"  But  now,  with  castles  deserted,  and  retainers  dis- 
missed, the  people  have  to  sweat  to  wring  from  traders 
the  reluctant  silver,  and  they  cry :  '  Thus  it  was  not  in 
times  of  old,  and  this  King  is  the  cause  of  it,'  and  so 
they  spit  upon  your  name,  and  shrug  their  shoulders, 
when  your  honesty  is  mentioned.  And  now,  Rudolph 
of  Alluria,  I  have  done,  and  I  go  the  more  jauntily  to 
my  death  that  I  have  had  fair  speech  with  you  before 
the  end." 

The  King  looked  at  the  company,  his  eyes  veiled 
with  moisture.  "  I  thought,"  he  said  slowly,  "  until 
to-night,  that  I  had  possessed  some  qualities  at  least 
of  a  ruler  of  men.  I  came  here  alone  among  you,  and 
although  there  are  brave  men  in  this  assembly,  yet  I 
had  the  ordering  of  events  as  I  chose  to  order  them, 
notwithstanding  that  odds  stood  a  score  to  one  against 
me.  I  still  venture  to  think  that  whatever  failures  have 
attended  my  eight  years'  rule  in  Alluria  arose  from 
faults  of  my  own,  and  not  through  imperfections  in  the 
plan,  or  want  of  appreciation  in  the  people. 

"  I  have  now  to  inform  you  that  if  it  is  disastrous  for 
a  King  to  act  without  the  co-operation  of  his  nobles, 
it  is  equally  disastrous  for  them  to  plot  against  their 


284  THE  STRONG  ARM 

leader.  I  beg  to  acquaint  you  with  the  fact  that  the 
insurrection  so  carefully  prepared  has  broken  out  pre- 
maturely. My  capital  is  in  possession  of  the  factions, 
who  are  industriously  cutting  each  other's  throats  to 
settle  which  one  of  two  smooth-tongued  rascals  shall  be 
their  President.  While  you  were  dicing  to  settle  the 
fate  of  an  already  deposed  King,  and  I  was  sentencing 
you  to  a  mythical  death,  we  were  all  alike  being  in- 
volved in  common  ruin. 

"  I  have  seen  to-night  more  property  in  flames  than 
all  my  savings  during  the  last  eight  years  would  pay 
for.  I  have  no  horsemen  at  my  back,  and  have  stum- 
bled here. blindly,  a  much  bedraggled  fugitive,  having 
lost  my  way  in  every  sense  of  the  phrase.  And  so  I 
beg  of  the  hospitality  of  Count  Staumn  another  flagon 
of  wine,  and  either  a  place  of  shelter  for  my  patient 
horse,  who  has  been  left  too  long  in  the  storm  without, 
or  else  direction  towards  the  frontier,  whereupon  my 
horse  and  I  will  set  out  to  find  it." 

"  Not  towards  the  frontier !  "  cried  Baron  Brunfels, 
grasping  again  his  sword  and  holding  it  aloft,  "  but  to- 
wards the  capital.  We  will  surround  you,  and  hew  for 
you  a  way  through  that  fickle  mob  back  to  the  throne 
of  your  ancestors." 

Each  man  sprang  to  his  weapon  and  brandished  it 
above  his  head,  while  a  ringing  cheer  echoed  to  the 
timbered  ceiling. 

"  The  King  !  The  King !  "  they  cried. 

Rudolph  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Not  so,"  he  said.  "  I  leave  a  thankless  throne  with 
a  joy  I  find  it  impossible  to  express.  As  I  sat  on  horse- 
back, half-way  up  the  hill  above  the  burning  city,  and 
heard  the  clash  of  arms,  I  was  filled  with  amazement  to 
think  that  meji  would  actually  fight  for  the  position  of 


"GENTLEMEN  :  THE  KING!"          285 

ruler  of  the  people.  Whether  the  insurrection  has 
brought  freedom  to  themselves  or  not,  the  future  alone 
can  tell,  but  it  has  at  least  brought  freedom  to  me.  I 
now  belong  to  myself.  No  man  may  question  either 
my  motives  or  my  acts.  Gentlemen,  drink  with  me 
to  the  new  President  of  Alluria,  whoever  he  may  be." 

But  the  King  drank  alone,  none  other  raising  flagon 
to  lip.  Then  Baron  Brunfels  cried  aloud  : 

"  Gentlemen  :  the  King  !  " 

And  never  in  the  history  of  Alluria  was  a  toast  so 
heartily  honoured. 


THE  HOUR-GLASS 

BERTRAM  EASTFORD  had  intended  to  pass  the  shop 
of  his  old  friend,  the  curiosity  dealer,  into  whose  pockets 
so  much  of  his  money  had  gone  for  trinkets  gathered 
from  all  quarters  of  the  globe.  He  knew  it  was  weak- 
ness on  his  part  to  select  that  street  when  he  might 
have  taken  another,  but  he  thought  it  would  do  no 
harm  to  treat  himself  to  one  glance  at  the  seductive 
window  of  the  old  curiosity  shop,  where  the  dealer  was 
in  the  habit  of  displaying  his  latest  acquisitions.  The 
window  was  never  quite  the  same,  and  it  had  a  con- 
tinued fascination  for  Bertram  Eastford  ;  but  this  time, 
he  said  to  himself  resolutely,  he  would  not  enter,  hav- 
ing, as  he  assured  himself,  the  strength  of  mind  to 
forego  this  temptation.  However,  he  reckoned  without 
his  window,  for  in  it  there  was  an  old  object  newly  dis- 
played which  caught  his  attention  as  effectually  as  a  half- 
driven  nail  arrests  the  hem  of  a  cloak.  On  the  central 
shelf  of  the  window  stood  an  hour-glass,  its  framework 
of  some  wood  as  black  as  ebony.  He  stood  gazing  at  it 
for  a  moment,  then  turned  to  the  door  and  went  inside, 
greeting  the  ancient  shopman,  whom  he  knew  so  well. 

"  I  want  to  look  at  the  hour-glass  you  have  in  the 
window,"  he  said. 

"  Ah,  yes,"  replied  the  curiosity  dealer  ;  "  the  cheap 
watch  has  driven  the  hour-glass  out  of  the  commercial 
market,  and  we  rarely  pick  up  a  thing  like  that  nowa- 
days." 

286 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  287 

He  took  the  hour-glass  from  the  shelf  in  the  window, 
reversed  it,  and  placed  it  on  a  table.  The  ruddy  sand 
began  to  pour  through  into  the  lower  receptacle  in  a 
thin,  constant  stream,  as  if  it  were  blood  that  had  been 
dried  and  powdered.  Eastford  watched  the  ever-in- 
creasing heap  at  the  bottom,  rising  conically,  changing 
its  shape  every  moment,  as  little  avalanches  of  the 
sand  fell  away  from  its  heightening  sides. 

"  There  is  no  need  for  you  to  extol  its  antiquity," 
said  Eastford,  with  a  smile.  "  I  knew  the  moment  I 
looked  at  it  that  such  glasses  are  rare,  and  you  are  not 
going  to  find  me  a  cheapening  customer." 

"  So  far  from  over-praising  it,"  protested  the  shop- 
man, "  I  was  about  to  call  your  attention  to  a  defect. 
It  is  useless  as  a  measurer  of  time." 

"  It  doesn't  record  the  exact  hour,  then  ? "  asked 
Eastford. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  the  truth  is,  they  were  not  very 
particular  in  the  old  days,  and  time  was  not  money,  as 
it  is  now.  It  measures  the  hour  with  great  accuracy," 
the  curio  dealer  went  on — "  that  is,  if  you  watch  it ; 
but,  strangely  enough,  after  it  has  run  for  half  an  hour, 
or  thereabouts,  it  stops,  because  of  some  defect  in  the 
neck  of  the  glass,  or  in  the  pulverising  of  the  sand,  and 
will  not  go  again  until  the  glass  is  shaken." 

The  hour-glass  at  that  moment  verified  what  the  old 
man  said.  The  tiny  stream  of  sand  suddenly  ceased, 
but  resumed  its  flow  the  moment  its  owner  jarred  the 
frame,  and  continued  pouring  without  further  inter- 
ruption. 

"  That  is  very  singular,  said  Eastford.  "  How  do 
you  account  for  it  ?  " 

"  I  imagine  it  is  caused  by  some  inequality  in  the 
grains  of  sand ;  probably  a  few  atoms  larger  than  the 


288  THE  STRONG  ARM 

others  come  together  at  the  neck,  and  so  stop  the  per- 
colation. It  always  does  this,  and,  of  course,  I  cannot 
remedy  the  matter  because  the  glass  is  hermetically 
sealed." 

"Well,  I  don't  want  it  as  a  timekeeper,  so  we  will 
not  allow  that  defect  to  interfere  with  the  sale.  How 
much  do  you  ask  for  it  ?  " 

The  dealer  named  his  price,  and  Eastford  paid  the 
amount. 

"  I  shall  send  it  to  you  this  afternoon." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  customer,  taking  his  leave. 

That  night  in  his  room  Bertram  Eastford  wrote 
busily  until  a  late  hour.  When  his  work  was  concluded, 
he  pushed  away  his  manuscript  with  a  sigh  of  that  deep 
contentment  which  comes  to  a  man  who  has  not  wasted 
his  day.  He  replenished  the  open  fire,  drew  his  most 
comfortable  arm-chair  in  front  of  it,  took  the  green 
shade  from  his  lamp,  thus  filling  the  luxurious  apart- 
ment with  a  light  that  was  reflected  from  armour  and 
from  ancient  weapons  standing  in  corners  and  hung 
along  the  walls.  He  lifted  the  paper-covered  package, 
cut  the  string  that  bound  it,  and  placed  the  ancient 
hour-glass  on  his  table,  watching  the  thin  stream  of 
sand  which  his  action  had  set  running.  The  constant, 
unceasing,  steady  downfall  seemed  to  hypnotise  him. 
Its  descent  was  as  silent  as  the  footsteps  of  time  itself. 
Suddenly  it  stopped,  as  it  had  done  in  the  shop,  and  its 
abrupt  ceasing  jarred  on  his  tingling  nerves  like  an  un- 
expected break  in  the  stillness.  He  could  almost  im- 
agine an  unseen  hand  clasping  the  thin  cylinder  of  the 
glass  and  throttling  it.  He  shook  the  bygone  time- 
measurer  and  breathed  again  more  steadily  when  the 
sand  resumed  its  motion.  Presently  he  took  the  glass 
from  the  table  and  examined  it  with  some  attention. 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  289 

He  thought  at  first  its  frame  was  ebony,  but  further 
inspection  convinced  him  it  was  oak,  blackened  with 
age.  On  one  round  end  was  carved  rudely  two  hearts 
overlapping,  and  twined  about  them  a  pair  of  ser- 
pents. 

"  Now,  I  wonder  what  that's  for?"  murmured  East- 
ford  to  himself.  "  An  attempt  at  a  coat  of  arms,  per- 
haps." 

There  was  no  clue  to  the  meaning  of  the  hieroglyph- 
ics, and  Eastford,  with  the  glass  balanced  on  his  knee, 
watched  the  sand  still  running,  the  crimson  thread 
sparkling  in  the  lamplight.  He  fancied  he  saw  dis- 
torted reflections  of  faces  in  the  convex  glass,  although 
his  reason  told  him  they  were  but  caricatures  of  his 
own.  The  great  bell  in  the  tower  near  by,  with  slow 
solemnity,  tolled  twelve.  He  counted  its  measured 
strokes  one  by  one,  and  then  was  startled  by  a  decisive 
knock  at  his  door.  One  section  of  his  brain  considered 
this  visit  untimely,  another  looked  on  it  as  perfectly 
usual,  and  while  the  two  were  arguing  the  matter  out, 
he  heard  his  own  voice  cry :  "  Come  in." 

The  door  opened,  and  the  discussion  between  the 
government  and  the  opposition  in  his  mind  ceased  to 
consider  the  untimeliness  of  the  visit,  for  here,  in  the 
visitor  himself,  stood  another  problem.  He  was  a 
young  man  in  military  costume,  his  uniform  being  that 
of  an  officer.  Eastford  remembered  seeing  something 
like  it  on  the  stage,  and  knowing  little  of  military 
affairs,  thought  perhaps  the  costume  of  the  visitor  be- 
fore him  indicated  an  officer  in  the  Napoleonic  war. 

"  Good  evening  !  "  said  the  incomer.     "  May  I  intro- 
duce myself?     I  am  Lieutenant  Sentore,  of  the  regular 
army." 
19 


290  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  You  are  very  welcome,"  returned  his  host.  "  Will 
you  be  seated  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  no.  I  have  but  a  few  moments  to  stay. 
I  have  come  for  my  hour-glass,  if  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  let  me  have  it." 

"  Your  hour-glass  ?  "  ejaculated  Eastford,  in  surprise. 
"  I  think  you  labour  under  a  misapprehension.  The 
glass  belongs  to  me  ;  I  bought  it  to-day  at  the  old  curi- 
osity shop  in  Finchmore  Street." 

"  Rightful  possession  of  the  glass  would  appear  to  rest 
with  you,  technically  ;  but  taking  you  to  be  a  gentle- 
man, I  venture  to  believe  that  a  mere  statement  of  my 
priority  of  claim  will  appeal  to  you,  even  though  it  might 
have  no  effect  on  the  minds  of  a  jury  of  our  country- 
men." 

"  You  mean  to  say  that  the  glass  has  been  stolen  from 
you  and  has  been  sold?  " 

"  It  has  been  sold  undoubtedly  over  and  over  again, 
but  never  stolen,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  trace  its 
history." 

"  If,  then,  the  glass  has  been  honestly  purchased  by 
its  different  owners,  I  fail  to  see  how  you  can  possibly 
establish  any  claim  to  it." 

"  I  have  already  admitted  that  my  claim  is  moral 
rather  than  legal,"  continued  the  visitor.  "  It  is  a  long 
story  ;  have  I  your  permission  to  tell  it  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  delighted  to  listen,"  replied  Eastford, 
"  but  before  doing  so  I  beg  to  renew  my  invitation,  and 
ask  you  to  occupy  this  easy-chair  before  the  fire." 

The  officer  bowed  in  silence,  crossed  the  room  be- 
hind Eastford,  and  sat  down  in  the  arm-chair,  placing 
his  sword  across  his  knees.  The  stranger  spread  his 
hands  before  the  fire,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  comfort- 
ing warmth.  He  remained  for  a  few  moments  buried 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  291 

in  deep  reflection,  quite  ignoring  the  presence  of  his 
host,  who,  glancing  upon  the  hour-glass  in  dispute  up- 
on his  knees,  seeing  that  the  sands  had  all  run  out  silent- 
ly reversed  it  and  set  them  flowing  again.  This  action 
caught  the  corner  of  the  stranger's  eye,  and  brought  him 
to  a  realisation  of  why  he  was  there.  Drawing  a  heavy 
sigh,  he  began  his  story. 

"  In  the  year  1706  I  held  the  post  of  lieutenant  in 
that  part  of  the  British  Army  commanded  by  General 
Trelawny,  the  supreme  command,  of  course,  being  in 
the  hands  of  the  great  Marlborough." 

Eastford  listened  to  this  announcement  with  a  feeling 
that  there  was  something  wrong  about  the  statement. 
The  man  sitting  there  was  calmly  talking  of  a  time  one 
hundred  and  ninety-two  years  past,  and  yet  he  himself 
could  not  be  a  day  more  than  twenty-five  years  old. 
Somewhere  entangled  in  this  were  the  elements  of  ab- 
surdity. Eastford  found  himself  unable  to  unravel  them, 
but  the  more  he  thought  of  the  matter,  the  more  rea- 
sonable it  began  to  appear,  and  so,  hoping  his  visitor 
had  not  noted  the  look  of  surprise  on  his  face,  he  said, 
quietly,  casting  his  mind  back  over  the  history  of  Eng- 
land, and  remembering  what  he  had  learned  at  school :  — 

"  That  was  during  the  war  of  the  Spanish  Succes- 
sion ?  " 

"  Yes  :  the  war  had  then  been  in  progress  four  years, 
and  many  brilliant  victories  had  been  won,  the  greatest 
of  which  was  probably  the  Battle  of  Blenheim." 

"  Quite  so,"  murmured  Eastford. 

"  It  was  the  English,"  Casper  cried, 

"  That  put  the  P'rench  to  rout ; 
But  what  they  killed  each  other  for, 
I  never  could  make  out." 


292  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  officer  looked  up  in  astonishment. 

"  I  never  heard  anything  like  that  said  about  the  war. 
The  reason  for  it  was  perfectly  plain.  We  had  to  fight 
or  acknowledge  France  to  be  the  dictator  of  Europe. 
Still,  politics  have  nothing  to  do  with  my  story.  Gen- 
eral Trelawny  and  his  forces  were  in  Brabant,  and  were 
under  orders  to  join  the  Duke  of  Marlborough's  army. 
We  were  to  go  through  the  country  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible, for  a  great  battle  was  expected.  Trelawny's  in- 
structions were  to  capture  certain  towns  and  cities  that 
lay  in  our  way,  to  dismantle  the  fortresses,  and  to  pa- 
role their  garrisons.  We  could  not  encumber  ourselves 
with  prisoners,  and  so  marched  the  garrisons  out,  pa- 
roled them,  destroyed  their  arms,  and  bade  them  dis- 
perse. But,  great  as  was  our  hurry,  strict  orders  had 
been  given  to  leave  no  strongholds  in  our  rear  untaken. 

"  Everything  went  well  until  we  came  to  the  town  of 
Elsengore,  which  we  captured  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 
The  capture  of  the  town,  however,  was  of  little  avail, 
for  in  the  centre  of  it  stood  a  strong  citadel,  which  we 
tried  to  take  by  assault,  but  could  not.  General  Tre- 
lawny, a  very  irascible,  hotheaded  man,  but,  on  the 
whole,  a  just  and  capable  officer,  impatient  at  this  un- 
expected delay,  offered  the  garrison  almost  any  terms 
they  desired  to  evacuate  the  castle.  But,  having  had 
warning'of  our  coming,  they  had  provisioned  the  place, 
were  well  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  their  comman- 
der refused  to  make  terms  with  General  Trelawny. 

"  '  If  you  want  the  place,'  said  the  Frenchman,  '  come 
and  take  it.' 

"  General  Trelawny,  angered  at  this  contemptuous 
treatment,  flung  his  men  again  and  again  at  the  citadel, 
but  without  making  the  slightest  impression  on  it. 

"  We  were    in   no  wise  prepared   for   a  long  siege, 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  293 

nor  had  we  expected  stubborn  resistance.  Marching 
quickly,  as  was  our  custom  heretofore,  we  possessed 
no  heavy  artillery,  and  so  were  at  a  disadvantage  when 
attacking  a  fortress  as  strong  as  that  of  Elsengore. 
Meanwhile,  General  Trelawny  sent  mounted  messen- 
gers by  different  roads  to  his  chief  giving  an  account  of 
what  had  happened,  explaining  his  delay  in  joining  the 
main  army,  and  asking  for  definite  instructions.  He 
expected  that  one  or  two,  at  least,  of  the  mounted  mes- 
sengers sent  away  would  reach  his  chief  and  be  enabled 
to  return.  And  that  is  exactly  what  happened,  for  one 
day  a  dusty  horseman  came  to  General  Trelawny's  head- 
quarters with  a  brief  note  from  Marlborough.  The  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  said  : — 

"  '  I  think  the  Frenchman's  advice  is  good.  We 
want  the  place  ;  therefore,  take  it.' 

"  But  he  sent  no  heavy  artillery  to  aid  us  in  this  task, 
for  he  could  not  spare  his  big  guns,  expecting,  as  he 
did,  an  important  battle.  General  Trelawny  having 
his  work  thus  cut  out  for  him,  settled  down  to  accom- 
plish it  as  best  he  might.  He  quartered  officers  and 
men  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  the  more  thoroughly 
to  keep  watch  on  the  citizens,  of  whose  good  inten- 
tions, if  the  siege  were  prolonged,  we  were  by  no  means 
sure. 

"  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  be  lodged  in  the  house  of  Bur- 
gomaster Seidelmier,  of  whose  conduct  I  have  no  rea- 
son to  complain,  for  he  treated  me  well.  I  was  given 
two  rooms,  one  a  large,  low  apartment  on  the  first  floor, 
and  communicating  directly  with  the  outside,  by  means 
of  a  hall  and  a  separate  stairway.  The  room  was  lighted 
by  a  long,  many-paned  window,  leaded  and  filled  with 
diamond-shaped  glass.  Beyond  this  large  drawing-room 
was  my  bedroom.  I  must  say  that  I  enjoyed  my  stay 


294  THE  STRONG  ARM 

in  Burgomaster  Seidelmier's  house  none  the  less  be- 
cause he  had  an  only  daughter,  a  most  charming  girl. 
Our  acquaintance  ripened  into  deep  friendship,  and  af- 
terwards into but  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  what 

I  have  to  tell  you.  My  story  is  of  war,  and  not  of  love. 
Gretlich  Seidelmier  presented  me  with  the  hour-glass 
you  have  in  your  hand,  and  on  it  I  carved  the  joined 
hearts  entwined  with  our  similar  initials." 

"  So  they  are  initials,  are  they  ? "  said  Eastford, 
glancing  down  at  what  he  had  mistaken  for  twining 
serpents. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  officer  ;  "  I  was  more  accustomed  to 
a  sword  than  to  an  etching  tool,  and  the  letters  are  but 
rudely  drawn.  One  evening,  after  dark,  Gretlich  and  I 
were  whispering  together  in  the  hall,  when  we  heard 
the  heavy  tread  of  the  general  coming  up  the  stair. 
The  girl  fled  precipitately,  and  I,  holding  open  the 
door,  waited  the  approach  of  my  chief.  He  entered 
and  curtly  asked  me  to  close  the  door. 

"  '  Lieutenant,'  he  said,  '  it  is  my  intention  to  cap- 
ture the  citadel  to-night.  Get  together  twenty-five  of 
your  men,  and  have  them  ready  under  the  shadow  of 
this  house,  but  give  no  one  a  hint  of  what  you  intend 
to  do  with  them.  In  one  hour's  time  leave  this  place 
with  your  men  as  quietly  as  possible,  and  make  an 
attack  on  the  western  entrance  of  the  citadel.  Your 
attack  is  to  be  but  a  feint  and  to  draw  off  their  forces 
to  that  point.  Still,  if  any  of  your  men  succeed  iir 
gaining  entrance  to  the  fort  they  shall  not  lack  reward 
and  promotion.  Have  you  a  watch  ? ' 

"  '  Not  one  that  will  go,  general ;  but  I  have  an  hour- 
glass here.' 

"  '  Very  well,  set  it  running.  Collect  your  men,  and 
exactly  at  the  hour  lead  them  to  the  west  front ;  it  is 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  295 

but  five  minutes'  quick  march  from  here.  An  hour 
and  five  minutes  from  this  moment  I  expect  you  to 
begin  the  attack,  and  the  instant  you  are  before  the 
western  gate  make  as  much  noise  as  your  twenty-five 
men  are  capable  of,  so  as  to  lead  the  enemy  to  believe 
that  the  attack  is  a  serious  one.' 

"  Saying  this,  the  general  turned  and  made  his  way, 
heavy-footed,  through  the  hall  and  down  the  stairway. 

"I  set  the  hour-glass  running,  and  went  at  once  to 
call  my  men,  stationing  them  where  I  had  been  ordered 
to  place  them.  I  returned  to  have  a  word  with  Gret- 
lich  before  I  departed  on  what  I  knew  was  a  dangerous 
mission.  Glancing  at  the  hour-glass,  I  saw  that  not 
more  than  a  quarter  of  the  sand  had  run  down  during 
my  absence.  I  remained  in  the  doorway,  where  I  could 
keep  an  eye  on  the  hour-glass,  while  the  girl  stood 
leaning  her  arm  against  the  angle  of  the  dark  passage- 
way, supporting  her  fair  cheek  on  her  open  palm ;  and, 
standing  thus  in  the  darkness,  she  talked  to  me  In 
whispers.  We  talked  and  talked,  engaged  in  that 
sweet,  endless  conversation  that  murmurs  in  subdued 
tone  round  the  world,  being  duplicated  that  moment 
at  who  knows  how  many  places.  Absorbed  as  I  was 
in  listening,  at  last  there  crept  into  my  consciousness 
the  fact  that  the  sand  in  the  upper  bulb  was  not  di- 
minishing as  fast  as  it  should.  This  knowledge  was 
fully  in  my  mind  for  some  time  before  I  realised  its 
fearful  significance.  Suddenly  the  dim  knowledge  took 
on  actuality.  I  sprang  from  the  door-lintel,  saying : — 

" '  Good  heavens,  the  sand  in  the  hour-glass  has 
stopped  running! ' 

"  I  remained  there  motionless,  all  action  struck  from 
my  rigid  limbs,  gazing  at  the  hour-glass  on  the  table. 


296  THE  STRONG  ARM 

Gretlich,  peering  in  at  the  doorway,  looking  at  the 
hour-glass  and  not  at  me,  having  no  suspicion  of  the 
ruin  involved  in  the  stoppage  of  that  miniature  sand- 
storm, said,  presently : — 

" '  Oh,  yes,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  it  does  that  now  and 
then,  and  so  you  must  shake  the  glass.' 

"  She  bent  forward  as  if  to  do  this  when  the  leaden 
windows  shuddered,  and  the  house  itself  trembled  with 
the  sharp  crash  of  our  light  cannon,  followed  almost 
immediately  by  the  deeper  detonation  of  the  heavier 
guns  from  the  citadel.  The  red  sand  in  the  glass  began 
to  fall  again,  and  its  liberation  seemed  to  unfetter  my 
paralysed  limbs.  Bareheaded  as  I  was,  I  rushed  like 
one  frantic  along  the  passage  and  down  the  stairs. 
The  air  was  resonant  with  the  quick-following  reports 
of  the  cannon,  and  the  long,  narrow  street  was  fitfully 
lit  up  as  if  by  sudden  flashes  of  summer  lightning. 
My  men  were  still  standing  where  I  had  placed  them. 
Giving  a  sharp  word  of  command,  I  marched  them  down 
the  street  and  out  into  the  square,  where  I  met  General 
Trelawny  coming  back  from  his  futile  assault.  Like 
myself,  he  was  bareheaded.  His  military  countenance 
was  begrimed  with  powder-smoke,  but  he  spoke  to  me 
with  no  trace  of  anger  in  his  voice. 

"  '  Lieutenant  Sentore,'  he  said, '  disperse  your  men.' 

"  I  gave  the  word  to  disband  my  men,  and  then  stood 
at  attention  before  him. 

"  '  Lieutenant  Sentore,'  he  said,  in  the  same  level 
voice,  '  return  to  your  quarters  and  consider  yourself 
under  arrest.  Await  my  coming  there.' 

"  I  turned  and  obeyed  his  orders.  It  seemed  incred- 
ible that  the  sand  should  still  be  running  in  the  hour- 
glass, for  ages  appeared  to  have  passed  over  my  head 
since  last  I  was  in  that  room.  I  paced  up  and  down, 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  297 

awaiting  the  coming  of  my  chief,  feeling  neither  fear 
nor  regret,  but  rather  dumb  despair.  In  a  few  minutes 
his  heavy  tread  was  on  the  stair,  followed  by  the  meas- 
ured tramp  of  a  file  of  men.  He  came  into  the  room, 
and  with  him  were  a  sergeant  and  four  soldiers,  fully 
armed.  The  general  was  trembling  with  rage,  but  held 
strong  control  over  himself,  as  was  his  habit  on  serious 
occasions. 

"  '  Lieutenant  Sentore,'  he  said,  '  why  were  you  not 
at  your  post  ?  ' 

" '  The  running  sand  in  the  hour-glass '  (I  hardly 
recognised  my  own  voice  on  hearing  it)  '  stopped  when 
but  half  exhausted.  I  did  not  notice  its  interruption 
until  it  was  too  late.' 

"  The  general  glanced  grimly  at  the  hour-glass.  The 
last  sands  were  falling  through  to  the  lower  bulb.  I 
saw  that  he  did  not  believe  my  explanation. 

"  '  It  seems  now  to  be  in  perfect  working  order,'  he 
said,  at  last. 

"  He  strode  up  to  it  and  reversed  it,  watching  the 
sand  pour  for  a  few  moments,  then  he  spoke  abruptly  : — 

"  '  Lieutenant  Sentore,  your  sword.' 

"  I  handed  my  weapon  to  him  without  a  word. 
Turning  to  the  sergeant,  he  said  :  '  Lieutenant  Sentore 
is  sentenced  to  death.  He  has  an  hour  for  whatever 
preparations  he  cares  to  make.  Allow  him  to  dispose 
of  that  hour  as  he  chooses,  so  long  as  he  remains  within 
this  room  and  holds  converse  with  no  one  whatever. 
When  the  last  sands  of  this  hour-glass  are  run,  Lieu- 
tenant Sentore  will  stand  at  the  other  end  of  this  room 
and  meet  the  death  merited  by  traitors,  laggards,  or 
cowards.  Do  you  understand  your  duty,  sergeant  ? ' 

"  '  Yes,  general.' 

"  General  Trelawny  abruptly  left  the  room,  and  we 


298  THE  STRONG  ARM 

heard  his  heavy  steps  echoing  throughout  the  silent 
house,  and  later,  more  faintly  on  the  cobble-stones  of 
the  street.  When  they  had  died  away  a  deep  stillness 
set  in,  I  standing  alone  at  one  end  of  the  room,  my 
eyes  fixed  on  the  hour-glass,  and  the  sergeant  with  his 
four  men,  like  statues  at  the  other,  also  gazing  at  the 
same  sinister  object.  The  sergeant  was  the  first  to 
break  the  silence. 

"  '  Lieutenant,'  he  said,  '  do  you  wish  to  write  any- 
thing  ?' 

"  He  stopped  short,  being  an  unready  man,  rarely 
venturing  far  beyond  '  Yes  '  and  '  No/ 

"  '  I  should  like  to  communicate  with  one  in  this 
household,'  I  said,  '  but  the  general  has  forbidden  it,  so 
all  I  ask  is  that  you  shall  have  my  body  conveyed  from 
this  room  as  speedily  as  possible  after  the  execution.' 

"  '  Very  good,  lieutenant,'  answered  the  sergeant. 

"  After  that,  for  a  long  time  no  word  was  spoken. 
I  watched  my  life  run  redly  through  the  wasp  waist  of 
the  transparent  glass,  then  suddenly  the  sand  ceased  to 
flow,  half  in  the  upper  bulb,  half  in  the  lower. 

"  '  It  has  stopped,'  said  the  sergeant ;  '  I  must  shake 
the  glass.' 

"  '  Stand  where  you  are ! '  I  commanded,  sharply. 
'  Your  orders  do  not  run  to  that.' 

"  The  habit  of  obedience  rooted  the  sergeant  to  the 
spot. 

"  '  Send  one  of  your  men  to  General  Trelawny,'  I 
said,  as  if  I  had  still  the  right  to  be  obeyed.  '  Tell 
him  what  has  happened,  and  ask  for  instructions.  Let 
your  man  tread  lightly  as  he  leaves  the  room." 

"  The  sergeant  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  gave 
the  order  I  required  of  him.  The  soldier  nearest  the 
door  tip-toed  out  of  the  house.  As  we  all  stood  there 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  299 

the  silence  seeming  the  deeper  because  of  the  stopping 
of  the  sand,  we  heard  the  hour  toll  in  the  nearest 
steeple.  The  sergeant  was  visibly  perturbed,  and 
finally  he  said  : — 

"  Lieutenant,  I  must  obey  the  general's  orders.  An 
hour  has  passed  since  he  left  here,  for  that  clock  struck 
as  he  was  going  down  the  stair.  Soldiers,  make  ready. 
Present." 

The  men,  like  impassive  machines  levelled  their 
muskets  at  my  breast.  I  held  up  my  hand. 

"  Sergeant,"  I  said  as  calmly  as  I  could,  "  you  are 
now  about  to  exceed  your  instructions.  Give  another 
command  at  your  peril.  The  exact  words  of  the  gen- 
eral were,  '  When  the  last  sands  of  this  hour-glass  are 
run.'  I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  condi- 
tions are  not  fulfilled.  Half  of  the  sand  remains  in  the 
upper  bulb." 

The  sergeant  scratched  his  head  in  perplexity,  but 
he  had  no  desire  to  kill  me,  and  was  only  actuated  by 
a  soldier's  wish  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  letter  of  his 
instructions,  be  the  victim  friend  or  foe.  After  a  few 
moments  he  muttered,  "  It  is  true,"  then  gave  a  com- 
mand that  put  his  men  into  their  former  position. 

Probably  more  than  half  an  hour  passed,  during  which 
time  no  man  moved ;  the  sergeant  and  his  three  re- 
maining soldiers  seemed  afraid  to  breathe ;  then  we 
heard  the  step  of  the  general  himself  on  the  stair.  I 
feared  that  this  would  give  the  needed  impetus  to  the 
sand  in  the  glass,  but,  when  Trelawny  entered,  the 
status  quo  remained.  The  general  stood  looking  at  the 
suspended  sand,  without  speaking. 

"  '  That  is  what  happened  before,  general,  and  that 
is  why  I  was  not  at  my  place.  I  have  committed  the 
crime  of  neglect,  and  have  thus  deservedly  earned  my 


300  THE  STRONG  ARM 

death ;  but  I  shall  die  the  happier  if  my  general  be- 
lieves I  am  neither  a  traitor  nor  a  coward/ 

"  The  general,  still  without  a  word,  advanced  to  the 
table,  slightly  shook  the  hour-glass,  and  the  sand  be- 
gan to  pour  again.  Then  he  picked  the  glass  up  in  his 
hand,  examining  it  minutely,  as  if  it  were  some  strange 
kind  of  toy,  turning  it  over  and  over.  He  glanced  up 
at  me  and  said,  quite  in  his  usual  tone,  as  if  nothing  in 
particular  had  come  between  us : — 

"  '  Remarkable  thing  that,  Sentore,  isn't  it  ? ' 

"  '  Very,'  I  answered,  grimly. 

"  He  put  the  glass  down. 

"  '  Sergeant,  take  your  men  to  quarters.  Lieutenant 
Sentore,  I  return  to  you  your  sword ;  you  can  perhaps 
make  better  use  of  it  alive  than  dead.  I  am  not  a  man 
to  be  disobeyed,  reason  or  no  reason.  Remember  that, 
and  now  go  to  bed.' 

"  He  left  me  without  further  word,  and  buckling  on 
my  sword,  I  proceeded  straightway  to  disobey  again. 

"  I  had  a  great  liking  for  General  Trelawny.  Know- 
ing how  he  fumed  and  raged  at  being  thus  held  help- 
less by  an  apparently  impregnable  fortress  in  the  unim- 
portant town  of  Elsengore,  I  had  myself  studied  the 
citadel  from  all  points,  and  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  might  be  successfully  attempted,  not  by  the 
great  gates  that  opened  on  the  square  of  the  town,  nor 
by  the  inferior  west  gates,  but  by  scaling  the  seemingly 
unclimbable  cliffs  at  the  north  side.  The  wall  at  the 
top  of  this  precipice  was  low,  and  owing  to  the  height 
of  the  beetling  cliff,  was  inefficiently  watched  by  one 
lone  sentinel,  who  paced  the  battlements  from  corner 
tower  to  corner  tower.  I  had  made  my  plans,  intend- 
ing to  ask  the  general's  permission  to  risk  this  venture, 
but  now  I  resolved  to  try  it  without  his  knowledge  or 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  301 

consent,  and  thus  retrieve,  if  I  could,  my  failure  of  the 
foregoing  part  of  the  night. 

"  Taking  with  me  a  long,  thin  rope  which  I  had  in 
my  room,  anticipating  such  a  trial  for  it,  I  roused  five 
of  my  picked  men,  and  silently  we  made  our  way  to 
the  foot  of  the  northern  cliff.  Here,  with  the  rope 
around  my  waist,  I  worked  my  way  diagonally  up  along 
a  cleft  in  the  rock,  which,  like  others  parallel  to  it, 
marked  the  face  of  the  precipice.  A  slip  would  be 
fatal.  The  loosening  of  a  stone  would  give  warning  to 
the  sentinel,  whose  slow  steps  I  heard  on  the  wall 
above  me,  but  at  last  I  reached  a  narrow  ledge  without 
accident,  and  standing  up  in  the  darkness,  my  chin  was 
level  with  the  top  of  the  wall  on  which  the  sentry 
paced.  The  shelf  between  the  bottom  of  the  wall  and 
the  top  of  the  cliff  was  perhaps  three  feet  in  width, 
and  gave  ample  room  for  a  man  careful  of  his  footing. 
Aided  by  the  rope,  the  others,  less  expert  climbers  than 
myself,  made  their  way  to  my  side  one  by  one,  and  the 
six  of  us  stood  on  the  ledge  under  the  low  wall.  We 
were  all  in  our  stockinged  feet,  some  of  the  men,  in 
fact,  not  even  having  stockings  on.  As  the  sentinel 
passed,  we  crouching  in  the  darkness  under  the  wall, 
the  most  agile  of  our  party  sprang  up  behind  him. 
The  soldier  had  taken  off  his  jacket,  and  tip-toeing  be- 
hind the  sentinel,  he  threw  the  garment  over  his  head, 
tightening  it  with  a  twist  that  almost  strangled  the 
man.  Then  seizing  his  gun  so  that  it  would  not  clatter 
on  the  stones,  held  him  thus  helpless  while  we  five 
climbed  up  beside  him.  Feeling  under  the  jacket,  I  put 
my  right  hand  firmly  on  the  sentinel's  throat,  and 
nearly  choking  the  breath  out  of  him,  said  : — 

"  '  Your  life  depends  on  your  actions  now.  Will  you 
utter  a  sound  if  I  let  go  your  throat  ?  ' 


302  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  The  man  shook  his  head  vehemently,  and  I  released 
my  clutch. 

"  '  Now,'  I  said  to  him,  '  where  is  the  powder  stored  ? 
Answer  in  a  whisper,  and  speak  truly." 

"  '  The  bulk  of  the  powder,'  he  answered,  '  is  in  the 
vault  below  the  citadel." 

"  '  Where  is  the  rest  of  it  ?  '  I  whispered. 

"  '  In  the  lower  room  of  the  round  tower  by  the  gate.' 

"  '  Nonsense,'  I  said  :  '  they  would  never  store  it  in 
a  place  so  liable  to  attack.' 

"  '  There  was  nowhere  else  to  put  it,'  replied  the 
sentinel,  '  unless  they  left  it  in  the  open  courtyard, 
which  would  be  quite  as  unsafe.' 

" '  Is  the  door  to  the  lower  room  in  the  tower 
bolted  ? ' 

"  '  There  is  no  door,'  replied  the  sentry,  '  but  a  low 
archway.  This  archway  has  not  been  closed,  because 
no  cannon-balls  ever  come  from  the  northern  side.' 

"  '  How  much  powder  is  there  in  this  room  ?  ' 

"  '  I  do  not  know  ;  nine  or  ten  barrels,  I  think.' 

"  It  was  evident  to  me  that  the  fellow,  in  his  fear, 
spoke  the  truth.  Now,  the  question  was,  how  to  get 
down  from  the  wall  into  the  courtyard  and  across  that 
to  the  archway  at  the  southern  side  ?  Cautioning  the 
sentinel  again,  that  if  he  made  the  slightest  attempt  to 
escape  or  give  the  alarm,  instant  death  would  be  meted 
to  him,  I  told  him  to  guide  us  to  the  archway,  which 
he  did,  down  the  stone  steps  that  led  from  the  northern 
wall  into  the  courtyard.  They  seemed  to  keep  loose 
watch  inside,  the  only  sentinels  in  the  place  being  those 
on  the  upper  walls.  But  the  man  we  had  captured  not 
appearing  at  his  corner  in  time,  his  comrade  on  the 
western  side  became  alarmed,  spoke  to  him,  and  obtain- 
ing no  answer,  shouted  for  him,  then  discharged  his 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  303 

gun.  Instantly  the  place  was  in  an  uproar.  Lights 
flashed,  and  from  different  guard-rooms  soldiers  poured 
out.  I  saw  across  the  courtyard  the  archway  the  sen- 
tinel had  spoken  of,  and  calling  my  men  made  a  dash 
for  it.  The  besieged  garrison,  not  expecting  an  enemy 
within,  had  been  rushing  up  the  stone  steps  at  each 
side  to  the  outer  wall  to  man  the  cannon  they  had  so 
recently  quitted,  and  it  was  some  minutes  before  a 
knowledge  of  the  real  state  of  things  came  to  them. 
These  few  minutes  were  all  we  needed,  but  I  saw  there 
was  no  chance  for  a  slow  match,  while  if  we  fired  the 
mine  we  probably  would  die  under  the  tottering  tower. 

"  By  the  time  we  reached  the  archway  and  discovered 
the  powder  barrels,  the  besieged,  finding  everything 
silent  outside,  came  to  a  realisation  of  the  true  condi- 
tion of  affairs.  We  faced  them  with  bayonets  fixed, 
while  Sept,  the  man  who  had  captured  the  sentinel, 
took  the  hatchet  he  had  brought  with  him  at  his  girdle, 
flung  over  one  of  the  barrels  on  its  side,  knocked  in  the 
head  of  it,  allowing  the  dull  black  powder  to  pour  on 
the  cobblestones.  Then  filling  his  hat  with  the  explo- 
sive, he  came  out  towards  us,  leaving  a  thick  trail  be- 
hind him.  By  this  time  we  were  sorely  beset,  and  one 
of  our  men  had  gone  down  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy, 
who  shot  wildly,  being  baffled  by  the  darkness,  other- 
wise all  of  us  had  been  slaughtered.  I  seized  a  musket 
from  a  comrade  and  shouted  to  the  rest : — 

"  *  Save  yourselves,  and  to  the  garrison,  in  French,  I 
gave  the  same  warning;  then  I  fired  the  musket  into 
the  train  of  powder,  and  the  next  instant  found  myself 
half  stunned  and  bleeding  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
courtyard.  The  roar  of  the  explosion  and  the  crash  of 
the  falling  tower  were  deafening.  All  Elsengore  was 
aroused  by  the  earthquake  shock.  I  called  to  my  men 


304  THE  STRONG  ARM 

when  I  could  find  my  voice,  and  Sept  answered  from 
one  side,  and  two  more  from  another.  Together  we 
tottered  across  the  d^rw-strewn  courtyard.  Some 
woodwork  inside  the  citadel  had  taken  fire  and  was 
burning  fiercely,  and  this  lit  up  the  ruins  and  made 
visible  the  great  gap  in  the  wall  at  the  fallen  gate.  Into 
the  square  below  we  saw  the  whole  town  pouring, 
soldiers  and  civilians  alike  coming  from  the  narrow 
streets  into  the  open  quadrangle.  I  made  my  way, 
leaning  on  Sept,  over  the  broken  gate  and  down  the 
causeway  into  the  square,  and  there,  foremost  of  all, 
met  my  general,  with  a  cloak  thrown  round  him,  to 
make  up  for  his  want  of  coat. 

"  '  There,  general,'  I  gasped,  '  there  is  your  citadel, 
and  through  this  gap  can  we  march  to  meet  Marlbor- 
ough.' 

"  '  Pray,  sir,  who  the  deuce  are  you  ?  '  cried  the  gen- 
eral, for  my  face  was  like  that  of  a  blackamoor. 

"  '  I  am  the  lieutenant  who  has  once  more  disobeyed 
your  orders,  general,  in  the  hope  of  retrieving  a  former 
mistake.' 

"  '  Sentore  ! '  he  cried,  rapping  out  an  oath.  '  I 
shall  have  you  court-martialled,  sir.' 

"  *  I  think,  general,'  I  said, '  that  I  am  court-martialled 
already,'  for  I  thought  then  that  the  hand  of  death  was 
upon  me,  which  shows  the  effect  of  imagination,  for 
my  wounds  were  not  serious,  yet  I  sank  down  uncon- 
scious at  the  general's  feet.  He  raised  me  in  his  arms 
as  if  I  had  been  his  own  son,  and  thus  carried  me  to 
my  rooms.  Seven  years  later,  when  the  war  ended,  I 
got  leave  of  absence  and  came  back  to  Elsengore  for 
Gretlich  Seidelmier  and  the  hour-glas«." 

As  the  lieutenant  ceased  speaking,  Eastford  thought 


THE  HOUR-GLASS  305 

he  heard  again  the  explosion  under  the  tower,  and 
started  to  his  feet  in  nervous  alarm,  then  looked  at  the 
lieutenant  and  laughed,  while  he  said  : — 

"  Lieutenant,  I  was  startled  by  that  noise  just  now, 
and  imagined  for  the  moment  that  I  was  in  Brabant. 
You  have  made  good  your  claim  to  the  hour-glass,  and 
you  are  welcome  to  it." 

But  as  Eastford  spoke,  he  turned  his  eyes  towards 
the  chair  in  which  the  lieutenant  had  been  seated,  and 
found  it  vacant.  Gazing  round  the  room,  in  half  som- 
nolent dismay,  he  saw  that  he  was  indeed  alone.  At  his 
feet  was  the  shattered  hour-glass,  which  had  fallen  from 
his  knee,  its  blood-red  sand  mingling  with  the  colours 
on  the  carpet.  Eastford  said,  with  an  air  of  surprise  : — 

"  By  Jove  !  " 
20 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS 

THE  young  naval  officer  came  into  this  world  with 
two  eyes  and  two  arms ;  he  left  it  with  but  one  of  each 
— nevertheless  the  remaining  eye  was  ever  quick  to  see, 
and  the  remaining  arm  ever  strong  to  seize.  Even  his 
blind  eye  became  useful  on  one  historic  occasion.  But 
the  loss  of  eye  or  arm  was  as  nothing  to  the  continual 
loss  of  his  heart,  which  often  led  him  far  afield  in  the  find- 
ing of  it.  Vanquished  when  he  met  the  women  ;  in- 
vincible when  he  met  the  men ;  in  truth,  a  most  human 
hero,  and  so  we  all  love  Jack — the  we,  in  this  instant,  as 
the  old  joke  has  it,  embracing  the  women. 

In  the  year  1780  Britain  ordered  Colonel  Poison  to 
invade  Nicaragua.  The  task  imposed  on  the  gallant 
Colonel  was  not  an  onerous  one,  for  the  Nicaraguans 
never  cared  to  secure  for  themselves  the  military 
reputation  of  Sparta.  In  fact,  some  years  after  this,  a 
single  American,  Walker,  with  a  few  Californian  rifles 
under  his  command,  conquered  the  whole  nation  and 
made  himself  President  of  it,  and  perhaps  would  have 
been  Dictator  of  Nicaragua  to-day  if  his  own  country 
had  not  laid  him  by  the  heels.  It  is  no  violation  of 
history  to  state  that  the  entire  British  fleet  was  not 
engaged  in  subduing  Nicaragua,  and  that  Colonel  Pol- 
son  felt  himself  amply  provided  for  the  necessities  of 
the  crisis  by  sailing  into  the  harbour  of  San  Juan  del 

Norte  with  one  small  ship.     There  were  numerous  for- 
306 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   307 

tifications  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  in  about  an 
hour  after  landing,  the  Colonel  was  in  possession  of 
them  all. 

The  flight  of  time,  brief  as  it  was,  could  not  be  com- 
pared in  celerity  with  the  flight  of  the  Nicaraguans, 
who  betook  themselves  to  the  backwoods  with  an  im- 
petuosity seldom  seen  outside  of  a  race-course.  There 
was  no  loss  of  life  so  far  as  the  British  were  concerned, 
and  the  only  casualties  resulting  to  the  Nicaraguans 
were  colds  caught  through  the  overheating  of  them- 
selves in  their  feverish  desire  to  explore  immediately 
the  interior  of  their  beloved  country.  "  He  who  bolts 
and  runs  away  will  live  to  bolt  another  day,"  was  the 
motto  of  the  Nicaraguans.  So  far,  so  good,  or  so  bad, 
as  the  case  may  be. 

The  victorious  Colonel  now  got  together  a  flotilla  of 
some  half  a  score  of  boats,  and  the  flotilla  "was  placed 
under  the  command  of  the  young  naval  officer,  the  hero 
of  this  story.  The  expedition  proceeded  cautiously  up 
the  river  San  Juan,  which  runs  for  eighty  miles,  or 
thereabouts,  from  Lake  Nicaragua  to  the  salt  water. 
The  voyage  was  a  sort  of  marine  picnic.  Luxurious 
vegetation  on  either  side,  and  no  opposition  to  speak 
of,  even  from  the  current  of  the  river ;  for  Lake  Nica- 
ragua itself  is  but  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  and  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  gives  little 
rapidity  to  a  river  eighty  miles  long. 

As  the  flotilla  approached  the  entrance  to  the  lake 
caution  increased,  for  it  was  not  known  how  strong 
Fort  San  Carlos  might  prove.  This  fort,  perhaps  the 
only  one  in  the  country  strongly  built,  stood  at  once 
on  the  shore  of  the  lake  and  bank  of  the  stream.  There 
was  one  chance  in  a  thousand  that  the  speedy  retreat 
of  the  Nicaraguans  had  been  merely  a  device  to  lure 


308  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  British  into  the  centre  of  the  country,  where  the 
little  expedition  of  two  hundred  sailors  and  marines 
might  be  annihilated.  In  these  circumstances  Colonel 
Poison  thought  it  well,  before  coming  in  sight  of  the 
fort,  to  draw  up  his  boats  along  the  northern  bank  of 
the  San  Juan  River,  sending  out  scouts  to  bring  in 
necessary  information  regarding  the  stronghold. 

The  young  naval  officer  all  through  his  life  was  noted 
for  his  energetic  and  reckless  courage,  so  it  was  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that  the  age  of  twenty-two  found  him 
impatient  with  the  delay,  loth  to  lie  inactive  in  his  boat 
until  the  scouts  returned  ;  so  he  resolved  upon  an  action 
that  would  have  justly  brought  a  court-martial  upon 
his  head  had  a  knowledge  of  it  come  to  his  superior 
officer.  He  plunged  alone  into  the  tropical  thicket, 
armed  only  with  two  pistols  and  a  cutlass,  determined 
to  force  his  way  through  the  rank  vegetation  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  reconnoitre  Fort  San  Carlos  for 
himself.  If  he  had  given  any  thought  to  the  matter, 
which  it  is  more  than  likely  he  did  not,  he  must  have 
known  that  he  ran  every  risk  of  capture  and  death,  for 
the  native  of  South  America,  then  as  now,  has  rarely 
shown  any  hesitation  about  shooting  prisoners  of  war. 
Our  young  friend,  therefore,  had  slight  chance  for  his 
life  if  cut  off  from  his  comrades,  and,  in  the  circum- 
stances, even  a  civilised  nation  would  have  been  per- 
fectly within  its  right  in  executing  him  as  a  spy. 

After  leaving  the  lake  the  river  San  Juan  bends 
south,  and  then  north  again.  The  scouts  had  taken 
the  direct  route  to  the  fort  across  the  land,  but  the 
young  officer's  theory  was  that,  if  the  Nicaraguans 
meant  to  fight,  they  would  place  an  ambush  in  the 
dense  jungle  along  the  river,  and  from  this  place  of 
concealment  harass  the  flotilla  before  it  got  within 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   309 

gunshot  of  the  fort.  This  ambuscade  could  easily 
fall  back  upon  the  fort  if  directly  attacked  and  de- 
feated. This,  the  young  man  argued  was  what  he 
himself  would  have  done  had  he  been  in  command  of 
the  Nicaraguan  forces,  so  it  naturally  occurred  to  him 
to  discover  whether  the  same  idea  had  suggested  itself 
to  the  commandant  at  San  Carlos. 

Expecting  every  moment  to  come  upon  this  ambus- 
cade, the  boy  proceeded,  pistol  in  hand,  with  the  ut- 
most care,  crouching  under  the  luxuriant  tropical  foli- 
age, tunnelling  his  way,  as  one  might  say,  along  the 
dark  alleys  of  vegetation,  roofed  in  by  the  broad  leaves 
overhead.  Through  cross-alleys  he  caught  glimpses 
now  and  then  of  the  broad  river,  of  which  he  was  desir- 
ous to  keep  within  touch.  Stealthily  crossing  one  of 
these  riverward  alleys  the  young  fellow  came  upon  his 
ambuscade,  and  was  struck  motionless  with  amazement 
at  the  form  it  took.  Silhouetted  against  the  shining 
water  beyond  was  a  young  girl.  She  knelt  at  the  very 
verge  of  the  low,  crumbling  cliff  above  the  water ;  her 
left  hand,  outspread,  was  on  the  ground,  her  right  rested 
against  the  rough  trunk  of  a  palm-tree,  and  counter- 
balanced the  weight  of  her  body,  which  leaned  far  for- 
ward over  the  brink.  Her  face  was  turned  sideways 
towards  him,  and  her  lustrous  eyes  peered  intently 
down  the  river  at  the  British  flotilla  stranded  along  the 
river's  bank.  So  intent  was  her  gaze,  so  confident  was 
she  that  she  was  alone,  that  the  leopard-like  approach 
of  her  enemy  gave  her  no  hint  of  attack.  Her  perfect 
profile  being  towards  him,  he  saw  her  cherry-red  lips 
move  silently  as  if  she  were  counting  the  boats  and  im- 
pressing their  number  upon  her  memory. 

A  woman  in  appearance,  she  was  at  this  date  but 
sixteen  years  old,  and  the  breathless  young  man  who 


3io  THE  STRONG  ARM 

stood  like  a  statue  regarding  her  thought  he  had  never 
seen  a  vision  of  such  entrancing  beauty,  and,  as  I  have 
before  intimated,  he  was  a  judge  of  feminine  loveliness. 
Pulling  himself  together,  and  drawing  a  deep  but  silent 
breath,  he  went  forward  with  soft  tread,  and  the  next 
instant  there  was  a  grip  of  steel  on  the  wrist  Ci:  the 
young  girl  that  rested  on  the  earth.  With  a  cry  of  dis- 
may she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  confronted  her  assailant, 
nearly  toppling  over  the  brink  as  she  did  so  ;  but  he 
grasped  her  firmly, -and  drew  her  a  step  or  two  up  the 
arcade.  As  he  held  her  left  wrist  there  was  in  the  air 
the  flash  of  a  stiletto,  and  the  naval  officer's  distin- 
guished career  would  have  ended  on  that  spot  had  he 
not  been  a  little  quicker  than  his  fair  opponent.  His 
disengaged  hand  gripped  the  descending  wrist  and  held 
her  powerless. 

"  Ruffian  !  "  she  hissed,  in  Spanish. 

The  young  man  had  a  workable  knowledge  of  the 
language,  and  he  thanked  his  stars  now  that  it  was  so. 
He  smiled  at  her  futile  struggles  to  free  herself,  then 
said  : — 

"  When  they  gave  me  my  commission,  I  had  no  hope 
that  I  should  meet  so  charming  an  enemy.  Drop  the 
knife,  senorita,  and  I  will  release  your  hand." 

The  girl  did  not  comply  at  first.  She  tried  to  wrench 
herself  free,  pulling  this  way  and  that  with  more 
strength  than  might  have  been  expected  from  one  so 
slight.  But  finding  herself  helpless  in  those  rigid  bonds, 
she  slowly  relaxed  the  fingers  of  her  right  hand,  and 
let  the  dagger  drop  point  downward  into  the  loose  soil, 
where  it  stood  and  quivered. 

"  Now  let  me  go,"  she  said,  panting.  "  You 
promised." 

The  young  man  relinquished  his  hold,  and  the  girl, 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   311 

with  the  quick  movement  of  a  humming-bird,  dived 
into  the  foliage,  and  would  have  disappeared,  had  he 
not  with  equal  celerity  intercepted  her,  again  imprison- 
ing her  wrist. 

"  You  liar !  "  she  cried,  her  magnificent  eyes  ablaze 
with  anger.  "  Faithless  minion  of  a  faithless  race,  you 
promised  to  let  me  go." 

"  And  I  kept  my  promise,"  said  the  young  man,  still 
with  a  smile.  "  I  said  I  would  release  your  hand,  and 
I  did  so  ;  but  as  for  yourself,  that  is  a  different  matter. 
You  see,  senorita,  to  speak  plainly,  you  are  a  spy.  I 
have  caught  you  almost  within  our  lines,  counting  our 
boats,  and,  perhaps,  our  men.  There  is  war  between 
our  countries,  and  I  arrest  you  as  a  spy." 

"  A  brave  country,  yours,"  she  cried,  "  to  war  upon 
women !  " 

"Well,"  said  the  young  man,  with  a  laugh,  "what 
are  we  to  do  ?  The  men  won't  stay  and  fight  us." 

She  gave  him  a  dark,  indignant  glance  at  this,  which 
but  heightened  her  swarthy  beauty. 

"  And  what  are  you,"  she  said,  "  but  a  spy  ?  " 

"Not  yet,"  he  replied.  "  If  you  had  found  me  peer- 
ing at  the  fort,  then,  perhaps,  I  should  be  compelled  to 
plead  guilty.  But  as  it  is,  you  are  the  only  spy  here 
at  present,  senorita.  Do  you  know  what  the  fate  of  a 
spy  is  ?  " 

The  girl  stood  there  for  a  few  moments,  her  face 
downcast,  the  living  gyves  still  encircling  her  wrists. 
When  she  looked  up  it  was  with  a  smile  so  radiant 
that  the  young  man  gasped  for  breath,  and  his  heart 
beat  faster  than  ever  it  had  done  in  warfare. 

"But  you  will  not  give  me  up?"  she  murmured, 
softly. 

"  Then  would  I  be  in  truth  a  faithless  minion,"  cried 


312  THE  STRONG  ARM 

the  young  man,  fervently  ;  "  not,  indeed,  to  my  country, 
but  to  your  fascinating  sex,  which  I  never  adored  so 
much  as  now." 

"  You  mean  that  you  would  be  faithless  to  your 
country,  but  not  to  me  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  young  man,  with  some  natural 
hesitation,  "  I  shouldn't  care  to  have  to  choose  between 
my  allegiance  to  one  or  the  other.  England  can  sur- 
vive without  warring  upon  women,  as  you  have  said  ; 
so  I  hope  that  if  we  talk  the  matter  amicably  over,  we 
may  find  that  my  duty  need  not  clash  with  my  inclina- 
tion." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  impossible,"  she  answered, 
quickly.  "  I  hate  your  country." 

"  But  not  the  individual  members  of  it,  I  hope." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  its  individual  members,  nor  do 
I  wish  to,  as  you  shall  soon  see,  if  you  will  but  let  go 
my  wrist." 

"  Ah,  senorita,"  exclaimed  the  young  man,  "  you 
are  using  an  argument  now  that  will  make  me  hold  you 
forever." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  the  girl,  "I  shall  change  my 
argument,  and  give  instead  a  promise.  If  you  release 
me  I  shall  not  endeavour  to  escape — I  may  even  be  so 
bold  as  to  expect  your  escort  to  the  fort,  where,  if  I 
understand  you  aright,  you  were  but  just  now  going." 

"  I  accept  your  promise,  and  shall  be  delighted  if 
you  will  accept  my  escort.  Meanwhile,  in  the  interest 
of  our  better  acquaintance,  can  I  persuade  you  to  sit 
down,  and  allow  me  to  cast  myself  at  your  feet  ?  " 

The  girl,  with  a  clear,  mellow  laugh,  sat  down,  and  the 
young  man  reclined  in  the  position  he  had  indicated, 
gazing  up  at  her  with  intense  admiration  in  his  eyes. 

"  If  this  be  war,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  long  may  I  re- 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   313 

main  a  soldier."  Infatuated  as  he  certainly  was,  his 
natural  alertness  could  not  but  notice  that  her  glance 
wandered  to  the  stiletto,  the  perpendicular  shining 
blade  of  which  looked  like  the  crest  of  a  glittering,  I 
dangerous  serpent,  whose  body  was  hidden  in  the  leaves. 
She  had  seated  herself  as  close  to  the  weapon  as  possi- 
ble, and  now,  on  one  pretext  or  another,  edged  nearer 
and  nearer  to  it.  At  last  the  young  man  laughed  aloud, 
and,  sweeping  his  foot  round,  knocked  down  the 
weapon,  then  indolently  stretching  out  his  arm,  he 
took  it. 

"  Senorita,"  he  said,  examining  its  keen  edge,  "  will 
you  give  me  this  dagger  as  a  memento  of  our  meeting  ?  " 

"  It  is  unlucky,"  she  murmured,  "to  make  presents 
of  stilettos." 

"  I  think,"  said  the  young  man,  glancing  up  at  her 
with  a  smile  on  his  lips,  "  it  will  be  more  lucky  for  me 
if  I  place  it  here  in  my  belt  than  if  I  allow  it  to  reach 
the  possession  of  another." 

"Do  you  intend  to  steal  it,  senor?" 

"  Oh,  no.  If  you  refuse  to  let  me  have  it,  I  will 
give  it  back  to  you  when  our  interview  ends ;  but  I 
should  be  glad  to  possess  it,  if  you  allow  me  to  keep  it." 

"  It  is  unlucky,  as  I  have  said,  to  make  a  present  of 
it,  but  I  will  exchange.  If  you  will  give  me  one  of  your 
loaded  pistols,  you  may  have  the  stiletto." 

"  A  fair  exchange,"  he  laughed,  but  he  made  no  mo- 
tion to  fulfil  his  part  to  the  barter.  "  May  I  have  the 
happiness  of  knowing  your  name,  senorita  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  called  Donna  Rafaela  Mora,"  answered  the 
girl,  simply.  "  I  am  daughter  of  the  Commandant  of 
Fort  San  Carlos.  I  am  no  Nicaraguan,  but  a  Spaniard. 
And,  senor,  what  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Horatio  Nelson,  an  humble  captain  in  His  Majesty's 


314  THE  STRONG  ARM 

naval  forces,  to  be  heard  from  later,  I  hope,  unless 
Donna  Rafaela  cuts  short  my  thread  of  life  with  her 
stiletto." 

"  And  does  a  captain  in  His  Majesty's  forces  con- 
descend to  play  the  part  of  a  spy  ? "  asked  the  girl, 
proudly. 

"  He  is  delighted  to  do  so  when  it  brings  him  the 
acquaintance  of  another  spy  so  charming  as  Donna 
Rafaela.  My  spying,  and  I  imagine  yours  also,  is  but 
amateurish,  and  will  probably  be  of  little  value  to  our 
respective  forces.  Our  real  spies  are  now  gathered 
round  your  fort,  and  will  bring  to  us  all  the  informa- 
tion we  need.  Thus,  I  can  recline  at  your  feet,  Donna 
Rafaela,  with  an  easy  conscience,  well  aware  that  my 
failure  as  a  spy  will  in  no  way  retard  our  expedition." 

"How  many  men  do  you  command,  Senor  Cap- 
tain?" asked  the  girl,  with  ill-concealed  eagerness. 

"  Oh,  sometimes  twenty-five,  sometimes  fifty,  or  a 
hundred  or  two  hundred,  or  more,  as  the  case  may  be," 
answered  the  young  man,  carelessly. 

"  But  how  many  are  there  in  your  expedition  now?" 

"  Didn't  you  count  them,  Donna?  To  answer  truly, 
I  must  not,  to  answer  falsely,  I  will  not,  Donna." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  the  girl,  impetuously.  "  There  is 
no  such  secrecy  about  our  forces  ;  we  do  not  care  who 
knows  the  number  in  our  garrison." 

"  No  ?     Then  how  many  are  there,  Donna  ?  " 

"  Three  hundred  and  forty,"  answered  the  girl. 

"Men,  or  young  ladies  like  yourself,  Donna?  Be 
careful  how  you  answer,  for  if  the  latter,  I  warn  you 
that  nothing  will  keep  the  British  out  of  Fort  San 
Carlos.  We  shall  be  with  you,  even  if  we  have  to  go 
as  prisoners.  In  saying  this,  I  feel  that  I  am  speaking 
for  our  entire  company." 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   315 

The  girl  tossed  her  head  scornfully. 

"  There  are  three  hundred  and  forty  men/'  she  said,"  as 
you  shall  find  to  your  cost,  if  you  dare  attack  the  fort." 

"  In  that  case,"  replied  Nelson,  "you  are  nearly  two 
to  one,  and  I  venture  to  think  that  we  have  not  come 
up  the  river  for  nothing." 

"  What  braggarts  you  English  are  !  " 

"  Is  it  bragging  to  welcome  a  stirring  fight  ?  Are 
you  well  provided  with  cannon  ?  " 

"  You  will  learn  that  for  yourself  when  you  come 
within  sight  of  the  fort.  Have  you  any  more  questions 
to  ask,  Senor  Sailor?" 

"  Yes ;  one.  The  number  in  the  fort,  which  you 
give,  corresponds  with  what  I  have  already  heard.  I 
have  heard  also  that  you  were  well  supplied  with 
cannon,  but  I  have  been  told  that  you  have  no  cannon- 
balls  in  Fort  San  Carlos." 

"  That  is  not  true ;  we  have  plenty." 

"  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  I  was  told  that  the  can- 
non-balls were  made  of  clay.  When  I  said  you  had 
none,  I  meant  that  you  had  none  of  iron." 

"  That  also  is  quite  true,"  answered  the  girl. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  are  going  to  shoot 
baked  clay  at  us  ?  It  will  be  like  heaving  bricks,"  and 
the  young  man  threw  back  his  head  and  laughed. 

"  Oh,  you  may  laugh,"  cried  the  girl,  "  but  I  doubt 
if  you  will  be  so  merry  when  you  come  to  attack  the 
fort.  The  clay  cannon-balls  were  made  under  the 
superintendence  of  my  father,  and  they  are  filled  with 
links  of  chain,  spikes,  and  other  scraps  of  iron." 

"  By  Jove  ! "  cried  young  Nelson,  "  that's  an  origi- 
nal idea.  I  wonder  how  it  will  work  ?  " 

"  You  will  have  every  opportunity  of  finding  out,  if 
you  are  foolish  enough  to  attack  the  fort." 


316  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  You  advise  us  then  to  retreat  ? ' 

"  I  most  certainly  do." 

"  And  why,  Donna,  if  you  hate  our  country,  are  you 
j  anxious  that  we  shall  not  be  cut  to  pieces  by  your 
scrap-iron  ?  " 

The  girl  shrugged  her  pretty  shoulders. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  in  the  least  to  me  what  you  do," 
she  said,  rising  to  her  feet.  "  Am  I  your  prisoner, 
Senor  Nelson?" 

"  No,"  cried  the  young  man,  also  springing  up  ;  "I 
am  yours,  and  have  been  ever  since  you  looked  at 
me." 

Again  the  girl  shrugged  her  shoulders.  She  seemed 
to  be  in  no  humour  for  light  compliments,  and  betrayed 
an  eagerness  to  be  gone. 

"I  have  your  permission,  then,  to  depart?  Do  you 
intend  to  keep  your  word  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  keep  yours,  Donna." 

"  I  gave  you  no  promise,  except  that  I  would  not 
run  away,  and  I  have  not  done  so.  I  now  ask  your  per- 
mission to  depart." 

"You  said  that  I  might  accompany  you  to  the  fort." 

"  Oh,  if  you  have  the  courage,  yes,"  replied  the  girl, 
carelessly. 

They  walked  on  together  through  the  dense  alleys  of 
vegetation,  and  finally  came  to  an  opening  which  showed 
them  a  sandy  plain,  and  across  it  the  strong  white  stone 
walls  of  the  fort,  facing  the  wide  river,  and  behind  it 
the  blue  background  of  Lake  Nicaragua. 

Not  a  human  form  was  visible  either  on  the  walls  or 
on  the  plain.  Fort  San  Carlos,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
it  bristled  with  cannon,  seemed  like  an  abandoned 
castle.  The  two  stood  silent  for  a  moment  at  the  mar- 
gin of  the  jungle,  the  young  officer  running  his  eye 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS   317 

rapidly  over  the  landscape,  always  bringing  back  his 
gaze  to  the  seemingly  deserted  stronghold. 

"  Your  three  hundred  and  forty  men  keep  themselves 
well  hidden,"  he  said  at  last. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  girl,  nonchalantly,  "  they  fear  that 
if  they  show  themselves  you  may  hesitate  to  attack  a 
fortress  that  is  impregnable." 

"  Well,  you  may  disabuse  their  minds  of  that  error 
when  you  return." 

"  Are  you  going  to  keep  my  stiletto  ? "  asked  the 
girl,  suddenly  changing  the  subject. 

"  Yes,  with  your  permission." 

"  Then  keep  your  word,  and  give  me  your  pistol  in 
return." 

"  Did  I  actually  promise  it?" 

"  You  promised,  Senor." 

"  Then  in  that  case,  the  pistol  is  yours." 

"  Please  hand  it  to  me." 

Her  eagerness  to  obtain  the  weapon  was  but  partially 
hidden,  and  the  young  man  laughed  as  he  weighed  the 
fire-arm  in  his  hand,  holding  it  by  the  muzzle. 

"  It  is  too  heavy  for  a  slim  girl  like  you  to  handle," 
he  said,  at  last.  "  It  can  hardly  be  called  a  lady's 
toy." 

"You  intend,  then,  to  break  your  word,"  said  the 
girl,  with  quick  intuition,  guessing  with  unerring  in- 
stinct his  vulnerable  point. 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  cried,  "  but  I  am  going  to  send  the 
pistol  half-way  home  for  you,"  and  with  that,  holding 
it  still  by  the  barrel,  he  flung  it  far  out  on  the  sandy 
plain,  where  it  fell,  raising  a  little  cloud  of  dust.  The 
girl  was  about  to  speed  to  the  fort,  when,  for  the  third 
time,  the  young  man  grasped  her  wrist.  She  looked  at 
him  with  indignant  surprise. 


318  THE  STRONG  ARM 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  but  in  case  you  should  wish 
to  fire  the  weapon,  you  must  have  some  priming.  Let 
me  pour  a  quantity  of  this  gunpowder  into  your 
hand." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  veiling  her  eyes,  to  hide 
their  hatred. 

He  raised  the  tiny  hand  to  his  lips,  without  opposi- 
tion, and  then  into  her  satin  palm,  from  his  powder- 
horn,  he  poured  a  little  heap  of  the  black  grains. 

"  Good-bye,  sefior,"  she  said,  hurrying  away.  She 
went  directly  to  where  the  pistol  had  fallen,  stooped 
and  picked  it  up.  He  saw  her  pour  the  powder  from 
her  hand  on  its  broad,  unshapely  pan.  She  knelt  on 
the  sand,  studied  the  clumsy  implement,  resting  her 
elbow  on  her  knee.  The  young  man  stood  there 
motionless,  bareheaded,  his  cap  in  his  hand.  There 
was  a  flash  and  a  loud  report ;  and  the  bullet  cut  the 
foliage  behind  him,  a  little  nearer  than  he  expected. 
He  bowed  low  to  her,  and  she,  rising  with  an  angry 
gesture,  flung  the  weapon  from  her. 

"  Donna  Rafaela,"  he  shouted,  "  thank  you  for  firing 
the  pistol.  Its  report  brings  no  one  to  the  walls  of  San 
Carlos.  Your  fortress  is  deserted,  Donna.  To-mor- 
row may  I  have  the  pleasure  of  showing  you  how  to 
shoot  ?  " 

The  girl  made  no  answer,  but  turning,  ran  as  fast  as 
she  could  towards  the  fort. 

The  young  man  walked  toward  the  fort,  picked  up 
his  despised  weapon,  thrust  it  in  his  belt,  and  went 
back  to  the  camp.  The  scouts  were  returning,  and  re- 
ported that,  as  far  as  they  could  learn,  the  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  Nicaraguans  had,  in  a  body,  abandoned 
Fort  San  Carlos. 

"  It  is  some  trick,"  said  the  Colonel.     "  We  must  ap- 


THE  WARRIOR  MAID  OF  SAN  CARLOS    319 

proach  the  fortress  cautiously,  as  if  the  three  hundred 
and  forty  were  there." 

The  flotilla  neared  the  fort  in  a  long  line.  Each  boat 
was  filled  with  men,  and  in  each  prow  was  levelled  a 
small  cannon — a  man  with  a  lighted  match  beside  it — 
ready  to  fire  the  moment  word  was  given.  Nelson 
himself  stood  up  in  his  boat,  and  watched  the  silent  fort. 
Suddenly  the  silence  was  broken  by  a  crash  of  thunder, 
and  Nelson's  boat  (and  the  one  nearest  to  it)  was 
wrecked,  many  of  the  men  being  killed,  and  himself 
severely  wounded. 

"  Back,  back  !  "  cried  the  commander.  "  Row  out 
of  range,  for  your  lives  !  "  The  second  cannon  spoke, 
and  the  whole  line  of  boats  was  thrown  into  inextri- 
cable confusion.  Cannon  after  cannon  rang  out,  and 
of  the  two  hundred  men  who  sailed  up  the  river  San 
Juan  only  ten  reached  the  ship  alive. 

The  Commandant  of  the  fort  lay  ill  in  his  bed,  un- 
able to  move,  but  his  brave  daughter  fired  the  cannon 
that  destroyed  the  flotilla.  Here  Nelson  lost  his  eye, 
and  so  on  a  celebrated  occasion  was  unable  to  see  the 
signals  that  called  upon  him  to  retreat.  Thus  victory 
ultimately  rose  out  of  disaster. 

The  King  of  Spain  decorated  Donna  Rafaela  Mora, 
made  her  a  colonel,  and  gave  her  a  pension  for  life. 
So  recently  as  1857,  her  grandson,  General  Martinez, 
was  appointed  President  of  Nicaragua  solely  because 
he  was  a  descendant  of  the  girl  who  defeated  Horatio 
Nelson. 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS 

HAZIDDIN,  the  ambassador,  stood  at  the  door  of  his 
tent  and  gazed  down  upon  the  famous  city  of  Baalbek, 
seeing  it  now  for  the  first  time.  The  night  before,  he 
had  encamped  on  the  heights  to  the  south  of  Baalbek, 
and  had  sent  forward  to  that  city,  messengers  to  the 
Prince,  carrying  greetings  and  acquainting  him  with  the 
fact  that  an  embassy  from  the  Governor  of  Damascus 
awaited  permission  to  enter  the  gates.  The  sun  had 
not  yet  risen,  but  the  splendour  in  the  East,  lighting 
the  sky  with  wondrous  colourings  of  gold  and  crimson 
and  green,  announced  the  speedy  coming  of  that  god 
which  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Baalbek  still  wor- 
shipped. The  temples  and  palaces  of  the  city  took 
their  tints  from  the  flaming  sky,  and  Haziddin,  the 
ambassador,  thought  he  had  never  seen  anything  so 
beautiful,  notwithstanding  the  eulogy  Mahomet  him- 
self had  pronounced  upon  his  own  metropolis  of  Da- 
mascus. 

The  great  city  lay  in  silence,  but  the  moment  the  rim 
of  the  sun  appeared  above  the  horizon  the  silence  was 
broken  by  a  faint  sound  of  chanting  from  that  ornate 
temple,  seemingly  of  carven  ivory,  which  had  bestowed 
upon  the  city  its  Greek  name  of  Heliopolis.  The 
Temple  of  the  Sun  towered  overall  other  buildings  in 
the  place,  and,  as  if  the  day-god  claimed  his  own,  the 

rising  sun  shot  his  first  rays  upon  this  edifice,  striking 
320 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        321 

from  it  instantly  all  colour,  leaving  its  rows  of  pillars  a 
dazzling  white  as  if  they  were  fashioned  from  the  pure 
snows  of  distant  Lebanon.  The  sun  seemed  a  main- 
spring of  activity,  as  well  as  an  object  of  adoration,  for 
before  it  had  been  many  minutes  above  the  horizon  the 
ambassador  saw  emerging  from  the  newly  opened  gate 
the  mounted  convoy  that  was  to  act  as  his  escort  into 
the  city  ;  so,  turning,  he  gave  a  quick  command  which 
speedily  levelled  the  tents,  and  brought  his  retinue 
into  line  to  receive  their  hosts. 

The  officer,  sent  by  the  Prince  of  Baalbek  to  welcome 
the  ambassador  and  conduct  him  into  the  city,  greeted 
the  visitor  with  that  deferential  ceremony  so  beloved 
of  the  Eastern  people,  and  together  they  journeyed 
down  the  hill  to  the  gates,  the  followers  of  the  one 
mingling  fraternally  with  the  followers  of  the  other. 
As  if  the  deities  of  the  wonderful  temples  they  were 
approaching  wished  to  show  the  futility  of  man's  fore- 
sight, a  thoughtless  remark  made  by  one  of  the  least  in 
the  ambassador's  retinue  to  one  of  the  least  who  fol- 
lowed the  Baalbek  general,  wrought  ruin  to  one  em- 
pire, and  saved  another  from  disaster. 

A  mule-driver  from  Baalbek  said  to  one  of  his  lowly 
profession  from  Damascus  that  the  animals  of  the 
northern  city  seemed  of  superior  breed  to  those  of  the 
southern.  Then  the  Damascus  man,  his  civic  pride 
disturbed  by  the  slighting  remark,  replied  haughtily 
that  if  the  mules  of  Baalbek  had  endured  such  hard- 
ships as  those  of  Damascus,  journeying  for  a  month 
without  rest  through  a  rugged  mountain  country,  they 
would  perhaps  look  in  no  better  condition  than  those 
the  speaker  then  drove. 

"  Our  mules  were  as  sleek  as  yours  a  month  ago, 

when  we  left  Damascus." 
21 


322  THE  STRONG  ARM 

As  Baalbek  is  but  thirty-one  miles  north  of  Damas- 
cus, the  muleteer  of  the  former  place  marvelled  that  so 
long  a  time  had  been  spent  on  the  journey,  and  he 
asked  his  fellow  why  they  had  wandered  among  the 
mountains.  The  other  could  but  answer  that  so  it 
was,  and  he  knew  no  reason  for  it,  and  with  this  the 
man  of  Baalbek  had  to  content  himself.  And  so  the 
tale  went  from  mouth  to  ear  of  the  Baalbek  men  until 
it  reached  the  general  himself.  He  thought  little  of  it 
for  the  moment,  but,  turning  to  the  ambassador,  said, 
having  nothing  else  to  say  : 

"  How  long  has  it  taken  you  from  Damascus  to 
Baalbek?" 

Then  the  ambassador  answered  : 

"  We  have  done  the  journey  in  three  days  ;  it  might 
have  taken  us  but  two,  or  perhaps  it  could  have  been 
accomplished  in  one,  but  there  being  no  necessity  for 
speed  we  travelled  leisurely." 

Then  the  general,  remaining  silent,  said  to  himself  : 

"  Which  has  lied,  rumour  or  the  ambassador  ?  " 

He  cast  his  eyes  over  the  animals  the  ambassador  had 
brought  with  him,  and  saw  that  they  indeed  showed 
signs  of  fatigue,  and  perhaps  of  irregular  and  improper 
food. 

Prince  Ismael  himself  received  Haziddin,  ambassador 
of  Omar,  Governor  of  Damascus,  at  the  gates  of  Baal- 
bek, and  the  pomp  and  splendour  of  that  reception  was 
worthy  of  him  who  gave  it,  but  the  general  found  op- 
portunity to  whisper  in  the  ear  of  the  Prince  : 

"  The  ambassador  says  he  was  but  three  days  coming, 
while  a  follower  of  his  told  a  follower  of  mine  that  they 
have  been  a  month  on  the  road,  wandering  among  the 
mountains." 

Suspicion  is  ever  latent  in  the  Eastern  mind,  and  the 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        323 

Prince  was  quick  to  see  a  possible  meaning  for  this 
sojourn  among  the  mountains.  It  might  well  be  that  the 
party  were  seeking  a  route  at  once  easy  and  unknown 
by  which  warriors  from  Damascus  might  fall  upon  • 
Baalbek ;  yet,  if  this  were  the  case,  why  did  not  the  ex- 
plorers return  directly  to  Damascus  rather  than  venture 
within  the  walls  of  Baalbek  ?  It  seemed  to  Prince  Is- 
mael  that  this  would  have  been  the  more  crafty  method 
to  pursue,  for,  as  it  was,  unless  messengers  had  returned 
to  Damascus  to  report  the  result  of  their  mountain  ex- 
cursion, he  had  the  whole  party  practically  prisoners 
within  the  walls  of  his  city,  and  he  could  easily  way- 
lay any  envoy  sent  by  the  ambassador  to  his  chief  in 
Damascus.  The  Prince,  however,  showed  nothing  in 
his  manner  of  what  was  passing  through  his  mind,  but 
at  the  last  moment  he  changed  the  programme  he  had 
laid  out  for  the  reception  of  the  ambassador.  Prepara- 
tion had  been  made  for  a  great  public  breakfast,  for 
Haziddin  was  famed  throughout  the  East,  not  only  as 
a  diplomatist,  but  also  as  physician  and  a  man  of 
science.  The  Prince  now  gave  orders  that  his  officers 
were  to  entertain  the  retinue  of  the  ambassador  at  the 
public  breakfast,  while  he  bestowed  upon  the  ambassa- 
dor the  exceptional  honour  of  asking  him  to  his  private 
table,  thus  giving  Haziddin  of  Damascus  no  opportu- 
nity to  confer  with  his  followers  after  they  had  entered 
the  gates  of  Baalbek. 

It  was  impossible  for  Haziddin  to  demur,  so  he  could 
but  bow  low  and  accept  the  hospitality  which  might  at 
that  moment  be  most  unwelcome,  as  indeed  it  was. 
The  Prince's  manner  was  so  genial  and  friendly  that 
the  physician,  Haziddin,  soon  saw  he  had  an  easy  man 
to  deal  with,  and  he  suspected  no  sinister  motive  be- 
neath the  cordiality  of  the  Prince. 


324  THE  STRONG  ARM 

The  red  wine  of  Lebanon  is  strong,  and  his  High- 
ness, Ismael,  pressed  it  upon  his  guest,  urging  that  his 
three  days'  journey  had  been  fatiguing.  The  ambassa- 
dor had  asked  that  his  own  servant  might  wait  upon 
him,  but  the  Prince  would  not  hear  of  it,  and  said  that 
none  should  serve  him  who  were  not  themselves  among 
the  first  nobles  in  Baalbek. 

"  You  represent  Omar,  Governor  of  Damascus,  son  of 
King  Ayoub,  and  as  such  I  receive  you  on  terms  of 
equality  with  myself." 

The  ambassador,  at  first  nonplussed  with  a  lavishness 
that  was  most  unusual,  gradually  overcame  his  diffi- 
dence, became  warm  with  the  wine,  and  so  failed  to 
notice  that  the  Prince  himself  remained  cool,  and  drank 
sparingly.  At  last  the  head  of  Haziddin  sank  on  his 
breast,  and  he  reclined  at  full  length  on  the  couch  he 
occupied,  falling  into  a  drunken  stupor,  for  indeed  he 
was  deeply  fatigued,  and  had  spent  the  night  before 
sleepless.  As  his  cloak  fell  away  from  him  it  left  ex- 
posed a  small  wicker  cage  attached  to  his  girdle  con- 
taining four  pigeons  closely  huddled,  for  the  cage  was 
barely  large  enough  to  hold  them,  and  here  the  Prince 
saw  the  ambassador's  swift  messengers  to  Damascus. 
Let  loose  from  the  walls  of  Baalbek,  and  flying  direct, 
the  tidings  would,  in  a  few  hours,  be  in  the  hands  of 
the  Governor  of  Damascus.  Haziddin  then  was  spy  as 
well  as  ambassador.  The  Prince  also  possessed  carrier 
pigeons,  and  used  them  as  a  means  of  communication 
between  his  armies  at  Tripoli  and  at  Antioch,  so  he 
was  not  ignorant  of  their  consequence.  The  fact  that 
the  ambassador  himself  carried  this  small  cage  under 
his  cloak  attached  to  his  girdle  showed  the  great  im- 
portance that  was  attached  to  these  winged  messen- 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        325 

gers,  otherwise  Haziddin  would  have  entrusted  them  to 
one  of  his  subordinates. 

"  Bring  me,"  whispered  the  Prince  to  his  general, 
"  four  of  my  own  pigeons.  Do  not  disturb  the  thongs 
attached  to  the  girdle  when  you  open  the  cage,  but 
take  the  ambassador's  pigeons  out  and  substitute  four 
of  my  own.  Keep  these  pigeons  of  Damascus  separate 
from  ours ;  we  may  yet  have  use  for  them  in  commu- 
nicating with  the  Governor." 

The  general,  quick  to  see  the  scheme  which  was  in 
the  Prince's  mind,  brought  four  Baalbek  pigeons, 
identical  with  the  others  in  size  and  colour.  He  brought 
with  him  also  a  cage  into  which  the  Damascus  pigeons 
were  put,  and  thus  the  transfer  was  made  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  slumbering  ambassador.  His  cloak 
was  arranged  about  him  so  that  it  concealed  the  cage 
attached  to  the  girdle,  then  the  ambassador's  own 
servants  were  sent  for,  and  he  was  confided  to  their 
care. 

When  Haziddin  awoke  he  found  himself  in  a  sump- 
tuous room  of  the  palace.  He  had  but  a  hazy  remem- 
brance of  the  latter  part  of  the  meal  with  the  Prince,  and 
his  first  thought  went  with  a  thrill  of  fear  towards  the 
cage  under  his  cloak ;  finding,  however,  that  this  was  in- 
tact, he  was  much  relieved  in  his  mind,  and  could  but 
hope  that  in  his  cups  he  had  not  babbled  anything  of  his 
mission  which  might  arouse  suspicion  in  the  mind  of 
the  Prince.  His  first  meeting  with  the  ruler  of  Baal- 
bek after  the  breakfast  they  had  had  together,  set  all 
doubts  finally  at  rest,  because  the  Prince  received  him 
with  a  friendship  which  was  unmistakable.  The  phy- 
sician apologised  for  being  overcome  by  the  potency 
of  the  wine,  and  pleaded  that  he  had  hitherto  been 
unused  to  liquor  of  such  strength.  The  Prince  waved 


326  THE  STRONG  ARM 

away  all  reference  to  the  subject,  saying  that  he  him- 
self had  succumbed  on  the  same  occasion,  and  had  but 
slight  recollection  of  what  had  passed  between  them. 

Ismael  assigned  to  the  ambassador  one  of  the  palaces 
near  the  Pantheon,  and  Haziddin  found  himself  free 
to  come  and  go  as  he  pleased  without  espionage  or  re- 
striction. He  speedily  learned  that  one  of  the  armies 
of  Baalbek  was  at  the  north,  near  Antioch,  the  other  to 
the  west  at  Tripoli,  leaving  the  great  city  practically 
unprotected,  and  this  unprecedented  state  of  affairs 
jumped  so  coincident  with  the  designs  of  his  master, 
that  he  hastened  to  communicate  the  intelligence.  He 
wrote : 

"  If  Baalbek  is  immediately  attacked,  it  cannot  be 
protected.  Half  of  the  army  is  on  the  shore  of  the 
Mediterranean,  near  Tripoli,  the  other  half  is  north,  at 
Antioch.  The  Prince  has  no  suspicion.  If  you  con- 
ceal the  main  body  of  your  army  behind  the  hills  to  the 
south  of  Baalbek,  and  come  on  yourself  with  a  small 
retinue,  sending  notice  to  the  Prince  of  your  arrival,  he 
will  likely  himself  come  out  to  the  gates  to  meet  you, 
and  having  secured  his  person,  while  I,  with  my  fol- 
lowers, hold  the  open  gates,  you  can  march  into  Baal- 
bek unmolested.  Once  with  a  force  inside  the  walls  of 
Baalbek,  the  city  is  as  nearly  as  possible  impregnable, 
and  holding  the  Prince  prisoner,  you  may  make  with 
him  your  own  terms.  The  city  is  indescribably  rich, 
and  probably  never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world 
has  there  been  opportunity  of  accumulating  so  much 
treasure  with  so  little  risk." 

This  writing  Haziddin  attached  to  the  leg  of  a  pigeon, 
and  throwing  the  bird  aloft  from  the  walls,  it  promptly 
disappeared  over  the  housetops,  and  a*few  moments 
later  was  in  the  hands  of  its  master,  the  Prince  of  Baal- 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        327 

bek,  who  read  the  treacherous  message  with  amaze- 
ment. Then,  imitating  the  ambassador's  writing,  he 
penned  a  note,  saying  that  this  was  not  the  time  to 
invade  Baalbek,  but  as  there  were  rumours  that  the- 
armies  were  about  to  leave  the  city,  one  going  to  the 
north  and  the  other  to  the  west,  the  ambassador  would 
send  by  another  pigeon  news  of  the  proper  moment  to 
strike. 

This  communication  the  Prince  attached  to  the  leg 
of  one  of  the  Damascus  pigeons,  and  throwing  it  into 
the  air,  saw  with  satisfaction  that  the  bird  flew  straight 
across  the  hills  towards  the  south. 

Ismael  that  night  sent  messengers  mounted  on  swift 
Arabian  horses  to  Tripoli  and  to  Antioch  recalling1  his 
armies,  directing  his  generals  to  avoid  Baalbek  and  to 
join  forces  in  the  mountains  to  the  south  of  that  city 
and  out  of  sight  of  it.  This  done,  the  Prince  attended 
in  state  a  banquet  tendered  to  him  by  the  ambassador 
from  Damascus,  where  he  charmed  all  present  by  his 
genial  urbanity,  speaking  touchingly  on  the  blessings 
of  peace,  and  drinking  to  a  thorough  understanding 
between  the  two  great  cities  of  the  East,  Damascus  and 
Baalbek,  sentiments  which  were  cordially  reciprocated 
by  the  ambassador. 

Next  morning  the  second  pigeon  came  to  the  palace 
of  the  Prince. 

"  Ismael  is  still  unsuspicious,"  the  document  ran. 
"  He  will  fall  an  easy  prey  if  action  be  prompt.  In 
case  of  a  failure  to  surprise,  it  would  be  well  to  impress 
upon  your  generals  the  necessity  of  surrounding  the 
city  instantly  so  that  messengers  cannot  be  sent  to  the 
two  armies.  It  will  then  be  advisable  to  cut  off  the 
water-supply  by  diverting  the  course  of  the  small  river 
which  flows  into  Baalbek.  The  walls  of  the  city  are  in- 


328  THE  STRONG  ARM 

credibly  strong,  and  a  few  men  can  defend  them  sue- 
cessfully  against  a  host,  once  the  gates  are  shut. 
Thirst,  however,  will  soon  compel  them  to  surrender. 
Strike  quickly,  and  Baalbek  is  yours." 

The  Prince  sent  a  note  of  another  tenor  to  Damascus, 
and  the  calm  days  passed  serenely  on,  the  ambassador 
watching  anxiously  from  his  house-top,  his  eyes  turned 
to  the  south,  while  the  Prince  watched  as  anxiously 
from  the  roof  of  his  palace,  his  gaze  turning  now  west- 
ward now  northward. 

The  third  night  after  the  second  message  had  been 
sent,  the  ambassador  paced  the  long  level  promenade 
of  his  roof,  ever  questioning  the  south.  A  full  moon 
shone  down  on  the  silent  city,  and  in  that  clear  air  the 
plain  outside  the  walls  and  the  nearer  hills  were  as  dis- 
tinctly visible  as  if  it  were  daylight.  There  was  no 
sign  of  an  approaching  army.  Baalbek  lay  like  a  city 
of  the  dead,  the  splendid  architecture  of  its  countless 
temples  gleaming  ghostlike,  cold,  white  and  unreal  in 
the  pure  refulgence  of  the  moon.  Occasionally  the 
ambassador  paused  in  his  walk  and  leaned  on  the  par- 
apet. He  had  become  vaguely  uneasy,  wondering  why 
Damascus  delayed,  and  there  crept  over  him  that  sensa- 
tion of  dumb  fear  which  comes  to  a  man  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  and  leaves  him  with  the  breaking  of  day. 
He  realised  keenly  the  extreme  peril  of  his  own  position 
—imprisoned  and  at  the  mercy  of  his  enemy  should 
his  treachery  be  discovered.  And  now  as  he  leaned 
over  the  parapet  in  the  breathless  stillness,  his  alert  ear 
missed  an  accustomed  murmur  of  the  night.  Baalbek 
was  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  ever-present  tinkle  of  run- 
ning water,  the  most  delicious  sound  that  can  soothe 
an  Eastern  ear,  accustomed  as  it  is  to  the  echoless 
silence  of  the  arid  rainless  desert. 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        329 

The  little  river  which  entered  Baalbek  first  flowed 
past  the  palace  of  the  Prince,  then  to  the  homes  of  the 
nobles  and  the  priests,  meandering  through  every  street 
and  lane  until  it  came  to  the  baths  left  by  the  Romans, 
whence  it  flowed  through  the  poorer  quarters,  and  at 
last  disappeared  under  the  outer  wall.  It  might  be 
termed  a  liquid  guide  to  Baalbek,  for  the  stranger,  leav- 
ing the  palace  and  following  its  current,  would  be  led 
past  every  temple  and  residence  in  the  city.  It  was 
the  limpid  thread  of  life  running  through  the  veins  of 
the  town,  and  without  it  Baalbek  could  not  have  ex- 
isted. As  the  ambassador  leaned  over  the  parapet 
wondering  whether  it  was  his  imagination  which  made 
this  night  seem  more  still  than  all  that  had  gone  before 
since  he  came  to  the  city,  he  suddenly  became  aware 
that  what  he  missed  was  the  purling  trickle  of  the 
water.  Peering  over  the  wall  of  his  house,  and  gazing 
downward  on  the  moonlit  street,  he  saw  no  reflecting 
glitter  of  the  current,  and  realised,  with  a  leap  of  the 
heart,  that  the  stream  had  run  dry. 

The  ambassador  was  quick  to  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  this  sudden  drying  of  the  stream.  Notwith- 
standing his  vigilance,  the  soldiers  of  Damascus  had 
stolen  upon  the  city  unperceived  by  him,  and  had  al- 
ready diverted  the  water-course.  Instantly  his  thoughts 
turned  toward  his  own  escape.  In  the  morning  the 
fact  of  the  invasion  would  be  revealed,  and  his  life 
would  lie  at  the  mercy  of  an  exasperated  ruler.  To  flee 
from  Baalbek  in  the  night  he  knew  to  be  no  easy  task ; 
all  the  gates  were  closed,  and  not  one  of  them  would 
be  opened  before  daybreak,  except  through  the  inter- 
vention of  the  Prince  himself.  To  spring  from  even 
the  lowest  part  of  the  wall  would  mean  instant  death. 
In  this  extremity  the  natural  ingenuity  of  the  man 


330  THE  STRONG  ARM 

came  to  his  rescue.  That  which  gave  him  warning 
would  also  provide  an  avenue  of  safety. 

The  stream,  conveyed  to  the  city  by  a  lofty  aqueduct, 
penetrated  the  thick  walls  through  a  tunnel  cut  in  the 
solid  stone,  just  large  enough  to  receive  its  volume. 
The  tunnel  being  thus  left  dry,  a  man  could  crawl  on 
his  hands  and  knees  through  it,  and  once  outside,  walk 
upright  on  the  top  of  the  viaduct,  along  the  empty  bed 
of  the  river,  until  he  reached  the  spot  where  the  water 
had  been  diverted,  and  there  find  his  comrades.  Wast- 
ing not  a  thought  on  the  jeopardy  in  which  he  left  his 
own  followers,  thus  helplessly  imprisoned  in  Baalbek, 
but  bent  only  on  his  own  safety,  he  left  his  house 
silently,  and  hurried,  deep  in  the  shadow,  along  the 
obscure  side  of  the  street.  He  knew  he  must  avoid 
the  guards  of  the  palace,  and  that  done,  his  path  to  the 
invading  army  was  clear.  But  before  he  reached  the 
palace  of  the  Prince  there  remained  for  him  another 
stupefying  surprise. 

Coming  to  a  broad  thoroughfare  leading  to  the  square 
in  which  stood  the  Temple  of  Life,  he  was  amazed  to 
see  at  his  feet,  flowing  rapidly,  the  full  tide  of  the 
stream,  shattering  into  dancing  discs  of  light  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  full  moon  on  its  surface,  gurgling  swiftly 
towards  the  square.  The  fugitive  stood  motionless 
and  panic-stricken  at  the  margin  of  this  transparent 
flood.  He  knew  that  his  retreat  had  been  cut  off. 
What  had  happened  ?  Perhaps  the  strong  current  had 
swept  away  the  impediment  placed  against  it  by  the 
invaders,  and  thus  had  resumed  its  course  into  the  city. 
Perhaps — but  there  was  little  use  in  surmising,  and  the 
ambassador,  recovering  in  a  measure  his  self-possession, 
resolved  to  see  whether  or  not  it  would  lead  him  to  his 
own  palace. 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        331 

Crossing  the  wide  thoroughfare  into  the  shadow  be- 
yond, he  followed  it  towards  the  square,  keeping  his 
eye  on  the  stream  that  rippled  in  the  moonlight.  The 
rivulet  flowed  directly  across  the  square  to  the  Temple' 
of  Life  ;  there,  sweeping  a  semicircle  half  round  the 
huge  building,  it  resumed  its  straight  course.  The 
ambassador  hesitated  before  crossing  the  moonlit  square, 
but  a  moment's  reflection  showed  him  that  no  suspicion 
could  possibly  attach  to  his  movements  in  this  direc- 
tion, for  the  Temple  of  Life  was  the  only  sacred  edifice 
in  the  city  for  ever  open. 

The  Temple  of  Life  consisted  of  a  huge  dome, 
which  was  supported  by  a  double  circle  of  pillars,  and 
beneath  this  dome  had  been  erected  a  gigantic  marble 
statue,  representing  the  God  of  Life,  who  stood  motion- 
less with  outstretched  arms,  as  if  invoking  a  blessing 
upon  the  city.  A  circular  opening  at  the  top  of  the 
dome  allowed  the  rays  of  the  moon  to  penetrate  and 
illuminate  the  head  of  the  statue.  Against  the  white 
polished  surface  of  the  broad  marble  slab,  which  lay  at 
the  foot  of  the  statue,  the  ambassador  saw  the  dark 
forms  of  several  prostrate  figures,  and  knew  that  each 
was  there  to  beg  of  the  sightless  statue,  life  for  some 
friend,  lying  at  that  moment  somewhere  on  a  bed  of 
illness.  For  this  reason  the  Temple  of  Life  was  al- 
ways open,  and  supplicants  prostrated  themselves 
within  it  at  any  hour  of  the  night  or  day.  Remember- 
ing this,  and  knowing  that  it  was  the  resort  of  high 
and  low  alike,  for  Death  respects  not  rank,  Haziddin, 
with  gathering  confidence,  entered  the  moonlit  square. 
At  the  edge  of  the  great  circular  temple  he  paused, 
meeting  there  his  third  surprise.  He  saw  that  the 
stream  was  not  deflected  round  the  lower  rim  of  the 
edifice,  but  that  a  stone  had  been  swung  at  right  angles 


332  THE  STRONG  ARM 

with  the  lower  step,  cutting  off  the  flow  of  the  stream 
to  the  left,  and  allowing  its  waters  to  pour  underneath 
the  temple.  Listening,  the  ambassador  heard  the  low 
muffled  roar  of  pouring  water,  and  instantly  his  quick 
mind  jumped  at  an  accurate  conclusion.  Underneath 
the  Temple  was  a  gigantic  tank  for  the  storage  of 
water,  and  it  was  being  filled  during  the  night.  Did 
the  authorities  of  Baalbek  expect  a  siege,  and  were  they 
thus  preparing  for  it  ?  Or  was  the  filling  of  the  tank 
an  ordinary  function  performed  periodically  to  keep 
the  water  sweet  ?  The  ambassador  would  have  given 
much  for  an  accurate  answer  to  these  questions,  but 
he  knew  not  whom  to  ask. 

Entering  the  Temple  he  prostrated  himself  on  the 
marble  slab,  and  remained  there  for  a  few  moments, 
hoping  that,  if  his  presence  had  been  observed,  this 
action  would  provide  excuse  for  his  nocturnal  wander- 
ings. Rising,  he  crossed  again  the  broad  square,  and 
hurried  up  the  street  by  which  he  had  entered  it.  This 
street  led  to  the  northern  gate,  whose  dark  arch  he  saw 
at  the  end  of  it,  and  just  as  he  was  about  to  turn  down 
a  lane  which  led  to  his  palace,  he  found  himself  con- 
fronted with  a  fourth  problem.  One  leaf  of  the  pon- 
derous gate  swung  inward,  and  through  the  opening 
he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  moonlit  country  beyond. 
Knowing  that  the  gates  were  never  opened  at  night, 
except  through  the  direct  order  of  the  Prince,  he 
paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  saw  a  man  on  horse- 
back enter,  fling  himself  hurriedly  from  his  steed,  leav- 
ing it  in  care  of  those  in  charge  of  the  gates,  and  dis- 
appear down  the  street  that  led  directly  to  the  Prince's 
palace.  In  a  most  perturbed  state  of  mind  the  am- 
bassador sought  his  own  house,  and  there  wrote  his 
final  despatch  to  Damascus.  He  told  of  his  discovery 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        333 

of  the  water-tank,  and  said  that  his  former  advice  re- 
garding the  diverting  of  the  stream  was  no  longer  of 
practical  value.  He  said  he  would  investigate  further 
the  reservoir  under  the  Temple  of  Life,  and  discover, 
if  possible,  how  the  water  was  discharged.  If  he  suc- 
ceeded in  his  quest  he  would  endeavour,  in  case  of  a  long 
siege,  to  set  free  Baalbek's  store  of  water;  but  he 
reiterated  his  belief  that  it  was  better  to  attempt  the 
capture  of  the  city  by  surprise  and  fierce  assault.  The 
message  that  actually  went  to  Damascus,  carried  by  the 
third  pigeon,  was  again  different  in  tenor. 

"  Come  at  once,"  it  said.  "  Baalbek  is  unprotected, 
and  the  Prince  has  gone  on  a  hunting  expedition. 
March  through  the  Pass  of  El-Zaid,  which  is  unpro- 
tected, because  it  is  the  longer  route.  The  armies  of 
Baalbek  are  at  Tripoli  and  at  Antioch,  and  the  city  is 
without  even  a  garrison.  The  southern  gate  will  be 
open  awaiting  your  coming." 

Days  passed,  and  the  ambassador  paced  the  roof  of 
his  house,  looking  in  vain  towards  the  south.  The 
streamed  flowed  as  usual  through  the  city.  Anxiety 
at  the  lack  of  all  tidings  from  Damascus  began  to  plough 
furrows  in  his  brow.  He  looked  careworn  and  haggard. 
To  the  kindly  inquiries  of  the  Prince  regarding  his 
health,  he  replied  that  there  was  nothing  amiss. 

One  evening,  an  urgent  message  came  from  the 
palace  requesting  his  attendance  there.  The  Prince 
met  him  with  concern  on  his  brow. 

"  Have  you  had  word  from  your  master,  Omar,  Gov- 
ernor of  Damascus,  since  you  parted  with  him  ?  "  asked 
Ismael. 

"  I  have  had  no  tidings,"  replied  the  ambassador. 

"  A  messenger  has  just  come  in  from  Damascus, 
who  says  that  Omar  is  in  deadly  peril.  I  thought 


334  THE  STRONG  ARM 

you  should  know  this  speedily,  and  so  I  sent  for 
you." 

"  Of  what  nature  is  this  peril  ?  "  asked  the  ambas- 
sador, turning  pale. 

"  The  messenger  said  something  of  his  falling  a  pris- 
oner, sorely  wounded,  in  the  hands  of  his  enemies." 

"  Of  his  enemies,"  echoed  the  ambassador.  "  He 
has  many.  Which  one  has  been  victorious  ?" 

"  I  have  had  no  particulars,  and  perhaps  the  news 
may  not  be  true,"  answered  the  Prince,  soothingly. 

"  May  I  question  your  messenger?" 

"  Assuredly.  He  has  gone  to  the  Temple  of  Life, 
to  pray  for  some  of  his  own  kin,  who  are  in  danger. 
Let  us  go  there  together  and  find  him." 

But  the  messenger  had  already  left  the  Temple  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  his  master,  and  the  two  found  the 
great  place  entirely  empty.  Standing  near  the  edge  of 
the  slab  before  the  mammoth  statue,  the  Prince  said : 

"  Stand  upon  that  slab  facing  the  statue,  and  it  will 
tell  you  more  faithfully  than  any  messenger  whether 
your  master  shall  live  or  die,  and  when." 

"  I  am  a  Moslem,"  answered  Haziddin,  "  and  pray 
to  none  but  Allah." 

"  In  Baalbek,"  said  the  Prince,  carelessly,  "  all  reli- 
gions are  tolerated.  Here  we  have  temples  for  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Roman  and  the  Greek  gods  and  mosques 
for  the  Moslems.  Here  Christian,  or  Jew,  Sun-worship- 
per or  Pagan  implore  their  several  gods  unmolested, 
and  thus  is  Baalbek  prosperous.  I  confess  a  liking  for 
this  Temple  of  Life,  and  come  here  often.  I  should, 
however,  warn  you  that  it  is  the  general  belief  of  those 
who  frequent  this  place  that  he  who  steps  upon  the 
marble  slab  facing  the  god  courts  disaster,  unless  his 
heart  is  as  free  from  treachery  and  guile  as  this  stone 


THE  AMBASSADOR'S  PIGEONS        335 

beneath  him  is  free  from  flaw.  Perhaps  you  have  heard 
the  rumour,  and  therefore  hesitate." 

"  I  have  not  heard  it  heretofore,  but  having  heard 
it,  do  not  hesitate."  Saying  which,  the  ambassador 
stepped  upon  the  stone.  Instantly,  the  marble  turned 
under  him,  and  falling,  he  clutched  its  polished  surface 
in  vain,  dropping  helplessly  into  the  reservoir  beneath. 
The  air  under  his  cloak  bore  him  up  and  kept  him  from 
sinking.  The  reservoir  into  which  he  had  fallen  proved 
to  be  as  large  as  the  Temple  itself,  circular  in  form, 
as  was  the  edifice  above  it.  Steps  rose  from  the  water 
in  unbroken  rings  around  it,  but  even  if  he  could  have 
reached  the  edge  of  the  huge  tank  in  which  he  found 
himself,  ascent  by  the  steps  was  impossible,  for  upon 
the  first  three  burned  vigorously  some  chemical  sub- 
stance, which  luridly  illuminated  the  surface  of  this 
subterranean  lake.  He  was  surrounded  immediately 
by  water,  and  beyond  that  by  rising  rings  of  flame,  and 
he  rightly  surmised  that  this  substance  was  Greek  fire, 
for  where  it  dripped  into  the  water  it  still  burned,  float- 
ing on  the  surface.  A  moment  later  the  Prince  ap- 
peared on  the  upper  steps,  outside  the  flaming  circum- 
ference. 

"  Ambassador,"  he  cried,  "  I  told  you  that  if  you 
stepped  on  the  marble  slab,  you  would  be  informed 
truly  of  the  fate  of  your  master.  I  now  announce  to 
you  that  he  dies  to-night,  being  a  prisoner  in  my  hands. 
His  army  was  annihilated  in  the  Pass  of  El-Zaid,  while 
he  was  on  his  way  to  capture  this  city  through  your 
treachery.  In  your  last  communication  to  him  you 
said  that  you  would  investigate  our  water  storage,  and 
learn  how  it  was  discharged.  This  secret  I  shall  pro- 
ceed to  put  you  in  possession  of,  but  before  doing  so,  I 
beg  to  tell  you  that  Damascus  has  fallen  and  is  in  my 


336  THE  STRONG  ARM 

possession.  The  reservoir,  you  will  observe,  is  emptied 
by  pulling  this  lever,  which  releases  a  trap-door  at  the 
centre  of  the  bottom  of  the  tank." 

The  Prince,  with  both  hands  on  the  lever,  exerted 
his  strength  and  depressed  it.  Instantly  the  ambas- 
sador felt  the  result.  First,  a  small  whirlpool  became 
indented  in  the  placid  surface  of  the  water,  exactly  in 
the  centre  of  the  disc  :  enlarging  its  influence,  it  grew 
and  grew  until  it  reached  the  outer  edges  of  the  reser- 
voir, bringing  lines  of  fire  round  with  it.  The  ambas- 
sador found  himself  floating  with  increased  rapidity, 
dizzily  round  and  round.  He  cried  out  in  a  voice  that 
rang  against  the  stone  ceiling : 

"  An  ambassador's  life  is  sacred,  Prince  of  Baalbek. 
It  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  nations  to  do  me  injury, 
much  less  to  encompass  my  death." 

"  An  ambassador  is  sacred,"  replied  the  Prince,  "  but 
not  a  spy.  Aside  from  that,  it  is  the  duty  of  an  am- 
bassador to  precede  his  master,  and  that  you  are  about 
to  do.  Tell  him,  when  you  meet  him,  the  secret  of  the 
reservoir  of  Baalbek." 

This  reservoir,  now  a  whirling  maelstrom,  hurled  its 
shrieking  victim  into  its  vortex,  and  then  drowned 
shriek  and  man  together. 


\ 

Ivi- 


*  3  1158  00! 


00862  9197 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000072179     5 


